Man Charged Under Patriot Act in Laser Case

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sosuemetoo

Active Member
Man Charged Under Patriot Act in Laser Case

I was watching my favorite fair and balanced news this morning (AKA Republican News Network ;) ) and could not believe my ears:

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

NEWARK, N.J. ? A man charged with temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot of an airplane with a laser beam claims he was simply using the device to look at stars with his 7-year-old daughter.

Federal authorities Tuesday used the Patriot Act (search) to charge David Banach (search), 38, with interfering with the operator of a mass transportation vehicle and making false statements to the FBI. He is the first person arrested after a recent rash of reports around the nation of laser beams hitting airplanes.

The FBI acknowledged the incident had no connection to terrorism but called Banach's actions \"foolhardy and negligent.\"

Banach, of Parsippany admitted to federal agents that he pointed the light beam at a jet and a helicopter over his home near Teterboro Airport (search) last week, authorities said. Initially, he claimed his daughter aimed the device at the helicopter, they said.

The jet, a chartered Cessna Citation (search), was coming in for a landing Dec. 29 with six people aboard when a green light beam struck the windshield three times at about 3,000 feet, according to court documents. The pilot and co-pilot were temporarily blinded but were eventually able to land the plane safely.

NEWARK, N.J. ? A man charged with temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot of an airplane with a laser beam claims he was simply using the device to look at stars with his 7-year-old daughter.

Federal authorities Tuesday used the Patriot Act to charge David Banach , 38, with interfering with the operator of a mass transportation vehicle and making false statements to the FBI. He is the first person arrested after a recent rash of reports around the nation of laser beams hitting airplanes.

The FBI acknowledged the incident had no connection to terrorism but called Banach's actions \"foolhardy and negligent.\"

Banach, of Parsippany admitted to federal agents that he pointed the light beam at a jet and a helicopter over his home near Teterboro Airport last week, authorities said. Initially, he claimed his daughter aimed the device at the helicopter, they said.

The jet, a chartered Cessna Citation , was coming in for a landing Dec. 29 with six people aboard when a green light beam struck the windshield three times at about 3,000 feet, according to court documents. The pilot and co-pilot were temporarily blinded but were eventually able to land the plane safely.
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Okay, we've been told that we MUST have the Patriot Act to counter terrorism within our own borders, but this guy is not a terrorist. He was just stupid! Maybe malicious. Why not charge him with something else, unrelated to the Patriot Act?

*hums the John Titor theme song, places tinfoil hat firmly upon her head, and waits for the FEMA prison trains to arrive*
 
Man Charged Under Patriot Act in Laser Case

Sue, make sure to bring lots of Milk Duds I hear the conductors love them.

I read a different article from the Star-Ledger (go figure) a NJ rag. There is no mention of Patriot Act in that article. It does mention that the man is now home after a short visit with the FBI. This guy was busted for laser tagging a police decoy helicopter. Air Lines pilots have complaned of green laser light interfering with their eye sight at night when landing. Seeings how the area he is in is so close to New York, I can see why some clown tagging jets and other aircraft with a laser might make them very uneasy and upset.

You might remember that some of the missles that are in use today use Lasers from a person that 'tags' the building, tank, whatever to be hit.
 

Man Charged Under Patriot Act in Laser Case

The perversity of human nature will always tend towards the maximum.

What goes through these people's heads... painting an Airplane with a laser! ??? :huh:
 

Man Charged Under Patriot Act in Laser Case

What goes through the FBIs heads thinking that they can use the Patriot Act for their dismay.

Then again, its the Feds.
 
Man Charged Under Patriot Act in Laser Case

Get used to it kids. The federal govt. is going to use the Patriot Act in anyway possible. Put 'em on their knees before the big guns come out so to speak. The Patriot Act is being used almost exclusively for non-terrorist arrests and govt. intrusion. Smile, it gets a lot worse from here.

Cary
 
Man Charged Under Patriot Act in Laser Case

What is disturbing is the idea that is growing rapidly in the minds of the feds that to lie to them is a grave and serious crime for which the liar ought to go to prison. This is, after all, why Martha Stewart is in prison, for instance. Since when is it an evil deed to lie to a federal agent?

I know what the statute says, but you have to understand that the cops are permitted by both custom and rule to lie to a suspect without restraint. There is no such thing as the presumption of innocence in a criminal investigation-- by law. The whole system has always run on the opposite presumption and by hunches.

So, to review: you cannot lie to a federal agent or in testimony to Congress, or in court, but any cop, Senator, or presidential candidate can freely lie to all or any of us as much as they want.
 
Man Charged Under Patriot Act in Laser Case

Ok, what kind of lazer was it? The description they gave could range from a pointer to those chinese things that are ment to bring down a plane by burning out the pilot's retnas.
I agree that the patriot act applies here, but if the thing he was using had much power, then felony reckless endangerment, one count for everyone on the plane, and within a few miles inside the flight path would be appropriate.
 
Re: Man Charged Under Patriot Act in Laser Case

Because they can...hell, most of the people who allowed it to pass never read it. And when we were kids we always got yelled at for using the excuse, "I didn't know." Guess this proves that ignorance is bliss.
 

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