Don't point your kid's laser at planes!

badshotbob · 01-05-2005, 08:29 AM

NJ man charged under Patriot Act for being stupid. Funny stuff.

Full story:

[link]http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,143371,00.html[/link]

david m · 01-05-2005, 08:31 AM

dumb law...

dumb ass that did it...but dumb law all the same....

DougMD · 01-05-2005, 10:45 AM

He could have caused that plane to crash, so needs to be punished accordingly.

Aught Six · 01-05-2005, 10:49 AM

I was shot in the eye with a helium-neon laser when I was a kid. It did not feel very good, and I can't imagine trying to fly or land a plane after that. He deserves to go down hard after putting people in the air and on the ground at risk.

BenGarrett · 01-05-2005, 11:13 AM

Okay, so the guy pulled a bonehead stunt. Did it have the possibility of causing harm? Of course. Did he do it intentionally intending to kill someone? No. Sounds like the same words that could have applied to many of the stunts many of us probably pulled as teenagers.

Charge him for his stupidity. Fine him, probation; whatever. Twenty-five years? Whatever.

We had a guy in my hometown recently who shot another man in the head with a .30-.30 deer rifle. Three times. The last time at point blank range. He pled and got 15 years. And we want to give a man up to 25 years for shining a laser into someone's eyes? What's wrong with our judicial system?

CalHunter · 01-05-2005, 11:25 AM

Guy sounds like a real schmuck. First he blames his 7-year-old daughter for doing the bonehead move and then has his attorney claim he was merely "looking at the stars" with his daughter. He sounds like a lying POS. No apology or late admission realizing how dangerous and foolish the move was. He deserves what he gets as he could have potentially caused the plane to crash and possibly kill everybody on board.

Quote:

We had a guy in my hometown recently who shot another man in the head with a .30-.30 deer rifle. Three times. The last time at point blank range. He pled and got 15 years. And we want to give a man up to 25 years for shining a laser into someone's eyes? What's wrong with our judicial system?

Ben, this is an apples and oranges type of comparison. If you check the law on the murder that guy did in your hometown, I'd bet the maximum penalty he could have received was life in prison or possibly the death sentence. Your quote mentions that the guy "pled" and thus obviously got a reduced sentence.

Although the laser incident's maximum sentence is 25 years, I'd bet the guy gets considerably less. However, once somebody gets a serious sentence for such a crime, many of the copy cat crimes will cease as people realize this type of crime is being taken seriously.

david m · 01-05-2005, 11:32 AM

yes, he did something wrong...but i hardly think that it justifies 25 years in prison.

give him a fine and maybe some community service and send him on his way.

Aught Six · 01-05-2005, 11:35 AM

Quote:

give him a fine and maybe some community service and send him on his way.

Considering that we have an unfortunate history of idiots bringing American passenger planes down, your proposed sentence seems a bit weak. He knew what he was doing, and he attempted to cover it all up with bogus excuses once he was found out. He deserves to go to prison.

david m · 01-05-2005, 11:37 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Aught Six

Quote:

give him a fine and maybe some community service and send him on his way.

Considering that we have an unfortunate history of idiots bringing American passenger planes down, your proposed sentence seems a bit weak. He knew what he was doing, and he attempted to cover it all up with bogus excuses once he was found out. He deserves to go to prison.

i just don't believe that a prison sentence is justified.

Aught Six · 01-05-2005, 12:23 PM

Quote:

i just don't believe that a prison sentence is justified.

Then I hope you don't end up on the jury.

I suppose it's not such a big deal for adults to throw things off of bridges in front of oncoming cars, either?