Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Lasing Aircraft

[GovernmentMan]

Some guy in California was just convicted and sentenced to 30 months for lasing aircraft.

https://edition.cnn.c...l?iref=obinsite

We'll see if he actually serves any of that time, though. I'm sure some slick lawyers are lining up to make a name for themselves appealing the conviction pro bono.

[Wolf424]

30 months seems a bit excessive...more to the story maybe?

[GovernmentMan]

a bit excessive...

Excessive? EXCESSIVE?!

[Toro]

Good riddance.

[lazlo]

Should've sentenced him to a 30" of a laser in the eye...

[Clayton Bigsby]

Nice to finally see somebody get caught. I deal with this quite a bit, several LE helos operate from my airport and patrol the local area and end up getting lased...giving me a bit of paperwork and calls to the various points of contact to report it. Rarely seems like they catch them though.

[Coasta]

30 months seems a bit excessive...more to the story maybe?

My frau works for US Pretrial Services has supervised defendants accused of this crime. It's a federal crime and he will do every day of his sentence. I agree that it's a stiff sentence because the kid is probably only guilty of being a moron.

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

GOOD! I hope he enjoys his time in federal PMITA prison. Anyone who has been lased knows it's no fun. Yes this guy is "only" guilty of being a moron, but hopefully this gets publicized well and people realize that lasing aircraft is a BAD idea.

[Ram]

It's all just fun and games irritating, dangerous, and damaging to your eyes until an airliner crashes and you get to spend life in prison for manslaughter.

[Gravedigger]

Well we all know you can't spell manslaughter without "laughter."

[Spoo]

GOOD! I hope he enjoys his time in federal PMITA prison.

Could be worse, I heard they have conjugal visits.

Well we all know you can't spell manslaughter without "laughter."

Sicko. For the record, you can't spell funeral without fun either.

[Gravedigger]

Could be worse, I heard they have conjugal visits.

And the occasional breast exam on Channel 9.

Sicko. For the record, you can't spell funeral without fun either.

Fair enough.

[jcj]

He pled guilty so he probably had to waive any right to appeal as part of the plea. As Coasta says it's in the federal system so he'll do the entire sentence. There's no "good time" or parole in the federal system. The best he can do is a minimum security federal prison camp like the one at Maxwell. I don't think there are conjugal visits in the federal system. And then he's a convicted felon for life unless he can get a presidential pardon, which is not so easy.

I think I've read that there have been pilots permanently disabled from laser injuries, so I really don't have a problem with the sentence being excessive.

Edited April 3, 2013 by jcj

[HuggyU2]

Could be worse, I heard they have conjugal visits.

Sicko. For the record, you can't spell funeral without fun either.

And you can't spell "Spoo" without "poo"...

I don't know what that means, but after a lengthy bar debrief with Dingle and Butcher, I'm feeling pretty good,... and that seems pretty funny.

[guineapigfury]

He pled guilty so he probably had to waive any right to appeal as part of the plea. As Coasta says it's in the federal system so he'll do the entire sentence. There's no "good time" or parole in the federal system. The best he can do is a minimum security federal prison camp like the one at Maxwell. I don't think there are conjugal visits in the federal system. And then he's a convicted felon for life unless he can get a presidential pardon, which is not so easy.

I think I've read that there have been pilots permanently disabled from laser injuries, so I really don't have a problem with the sentence being excessive.

I bet his cellmate disagrees.

[Wolf424]

I've been lased...it sucks. (worst part is the Nav was looking out the right window and his direct quote was "Holy shit" so you can guess what we all did next)

Having said that, unless this guy had a prior record or there were some extenuating circumstances, sending a 19 year old to federal prison for 2 1/2 years is excessive. That's about equal to a first time charge of drug possession with the intent to distribute. (not a druggie, just studied law for my BA and MS) Was it dumb? Yes. I think a good 6 months in a Federal PMITA prison would be fair, not to mention the "convicted felon" tag he gets to lug around the rest of his life.

[SurelySerious]

I've been lased...it sucks. (worst part is the Nav was looking out the right window and his direct quote was "Holy shit" so you can guess what we all did next)

Having said that, unless this guy had a prior record or there were some extenuating circumstances, sending a 19 year old to federal prison for 2 1/2 years is excessive. That's about equal to a first time charge of drug possession with the intent to distribute. (not a druggie, just studied law for my BA and MS) Was it dumb? Yes. I think a good 6 months in a Federal PMITA prison would be fair, not to mention the "convicted felon" tag he gets to lug around the rest of his life.

Lasing aircraft has a higher potential for injury/death, though.

[Wolf424]

Lasing aircraft has a higher potential for injury/death, though.

How many planes have been brought down by lasers?

Not saying it wasn't dangerous/stupid...but does this guy really need to spend 2 1/2 years in our overcrowded prisons thinking about what he did?

[DFRESH]

How many planes have been brought down by lasers? Not saying it wasn't dangerous/stupid...but does this guy really need to spend 2 1/2 years in our overcrowded prisons thinking about what he did?

Does "he"... no. Is it important to set a precedence? Yes. And now the bar has been set.

[HuggyU2]

Agree or not, let's hope this 19 year old's actions will get the attention of many.

Like the story of Sun Tzu and the concubines:

King Ho-lú wanted a demonstration of Sun Tzu’s theories in action to see their effectiveness. So the King’s concubines, some 300 women, were summoned and divided into two companies. He placed one of the King’s two favorite concubines in charge of each and gave the women armor and weapons while explaining a set of drills he wished them to perform.

After he had shown them what he wished to be done he then ordered the King’s favorite concubines to lead their companies in performing the maneuvers. This almost predictably led to laughs from the concubines who did not believe him to be serious. They were, after all, not warriors. Sun Tzu then repeated his orders but again the concubines laughed and failed to heed.

This is when he summoned the executioner and had the King’s favorite concubines beheaded.

Sun Tzu then brought forth two more concubines, placed one in charge of each company and then he again ordered the drill completed. This time the remaining concubines performed the exercise flawlessly.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Huggyu2

[BFM this]

LEPs for all 121 ops?

[DEVIL]

LEPs for all 121 ops?

LWS that pinpoints where it's coming from and shines a more powerful laser back.

[Wolf424]

Does "he"... no. Is it important to set a precedence? Yes. And now the bar has been set.

There is a very thin line between making an example of someone and setting a precedent

[jcj]

How many planes have been brought down by lasers?

Not saying it wasn't dangerous/stupid...but does this guy really need to spend 2 1/2 years in our overcrowded prisons thinking about what he did?

There is a group called Outcome Engineering that advocates for and teaches a program called "Just Culture" - its become popular in patient safety programs - particularly in military medical systems, and aviation safety and ATC systems. The program advocates for not punishing, but retraining and supporting individuals who make errors that are a result of improper or ineffective training or systems - even when those errors result in loss of life or other terrible consequences. On the other hand, the program advocates for little or no tolerance (punishment, if appropriate) for reckless or intentionally malicious conduct - regardless of the outcome. - in other words - by this paradigm the consequences of intentionally firing a laser at aircraft should be the same regardless of whether or not the action results in a temporary incapacitation of the aircrew, permanent disability of an aircrew member or a crash of the aircraft.

It's a little more complicated than this, but I think you get the drift - if you accept that shooting a commercial laser at aircraft in flight is a reckless or intentionally malicious act, he doesn't get a break because we all lucked out in that the pilot was only temporarily blinded & not permanently disabled and didn't crash.

Maybe 30 months is too long - but maybe not. He intentionally aimed and fired a commercial laser at an aircraft in flight. How much different is that from a firearm or other weapon? Granted perhaps a commercial laser is less effective when fired at an aircraft in flight than an actual weapon but what was the intent here? I still fly an airplane every once in a while and I take that a little personal.

[moosepileit]

Having been lased twice in the military world and another time in civilian int'l flying- make an example of those caught.

It is the same as trying to open a door of an airliner in flight or trying to get into the cockpit- You are diverting the entire attention of the flight crew.

Would you point a laser dot at a police officer?

You are starting what can be a fatal chain of events with your interruption. The flight crew can't know if that is a key chain toy or a weapon. We have had folks injured, knowing that makes for doubt on whether to just duck inside and press or react otherwise.

LEPs are not the solution, but one way to get free sunglasses again, I guess.