One columnist has proposed this, in addition to new information about a similar case a decade ago, where the individual accused of the hacking , also a Brit (and mind you, for similar reasons involving UFOs) was not extradited to the US.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/03/mckinnon_bevan_interview_analysis/

Is McKinnon being made into an example for future would-be hackers? Some might argue that desperate questions, like whether or not proof of UFOs exists, calls for desperate measures. In my opinion, it doesn’t right the fundamental wrong here; the fact that he illegally hacked into the databases of another country’s government agencies.

Thanks to M. Bishop for sending this story along.