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Florida man who flew gyrocopter to U.S. Capitol rejects plea deal


               
2015 Jun 22, 4:25pm   1,016 views  7 comments

by Dan8267   follow (4)  

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/22/us-usa-security-gyrocopter-idUSKBN0P22B120150622

A Florida man who flew a gyrocopter onto the U.S. Capitol grounds rejected a plea deal on Monday that would likely involve jail time, prosecutors said.

Hughes told reporters outside the courthouse that he would not accept a plea deal that would involve several years of prison time, and called his illegal flight a “pure act of civil disobedience,” according to the Washington Post.

It would be interesting to see this go to trial. Does the First Amendment trump "violating the registration requirements for an aircraft and violating national defense airspace"?

Comments 1 - 7 of 7        Search these comments

1   RWSGFY   2015 Jun 22, 5:26pm  

Dan8267 says

Does the First Amendment trump "violating the registration requirements for an aircraft and violating national defense airspace"?

Not a chance he can successfully argue that he had no other (and legal) means of expressing his views.

2   Shaman   2015 Jun 22, 6:34pm  

The mere fact that a plea deal was offered means that the prosecutor is worried that he may not be able to impanel a jury that would convict. After all, would you convict this guy? And yes, CiC and Strategist would, but they are outliers. It takes 12 votes to convict a person in 'Murica.

3   Dan8267   2015 Jun 22, 6:39pm  

I can't see convicting him of anything that requires jail time. A fine, perhaps, but certainly not jail.

It looks like the government is only interested in saving face and thinks it can do so by convicting him.

4   Shaman   2015 Jun 22, 6:41pm  

I concur

5   Strategist   2015 Jun 22, 7:28pm  

Quigley says

The mere fact that a plea deal was offered means that the prosecutor is worried that he may not be able to impanel a jury that would convict. After all, would you convict this guy? And yes, CiC and Strategist would, but they are outliers. It takes 12 votes to convict a person in 'Murica.

I sure would. You do not want a precedence that makes it easy to target American politicians.
American politicians being targeted........cough cough....a couple of drinks might change my mind.

6   Robert Sproul   2015 Jun 22, 8:09pm  

Quigley says

The mere fact that a plea deal was offered means that the prosecutor is worried that he may not be able to impanel a jury that would convict.

Federal prosecutions are rigged show trials. They overcharge radically to terrorize defendants into pleading guilty.
Well over 90% do!
If you dare to go to trial they have a 90% conviction rate.
So, you see, they are never wrong.

7   HEY YOU   2015 Jun 22, 10:34pm  

Damn that Obama! He should have shot down that gyro-copter,it could have been a Saudi & could have taken out three buildings.

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