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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: NJ Man charged with aiming laser at aircraft. You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.

NJ Man charged with aiming laser at aircraft
by bmitchell at 12:02 pm EST, Jan 5, 2005

Atleast we are finally cracking down on hardened terrorists out to destroy the country...that and people with pen lasers.


 
RE: NJ Man charged with aiming laser at aircraft
by Decius at 12:50 pm EST, Jan 5, 2005

bmitchell wrote:
] Atleast we are finally cracking down on hardened terrorists
] out to destroy the country...that and people with pen lasers.

This thing is a little rediculous... The press has been trying as hard as possible to turn it into a terrorism story because it sells copy. "FBI says terrorism is not suspected, but a memo released a month ago says that terrorists have considered using lasers...." Nailing this guy's ass to the wall is not going to acomplish anything.


NJ Man charged with aiming laser at aircraft
by Rattle at 3:47 am EST, Jan 6, 2005

] David Banach, 38, is the first person charged in a rash
] of recent incidents in which lasers were shined at
] aircraft around the country. Justice Department officials
] said they do not suspect terrorism in any of the cases,
] but said Banach's arrest shows how seriously they take
] the matter.

I've heard it said on the news terrorism was suspected in these cases by the FBI. I myself have been suspecting stupidity.

] After being taken to an FBI office and given a
] lie-detector test, Banach said he had hit the jet with
] the beam, court documents say. During questioning by the
] FBI, Banach showed an agent his laser. After the agent
] switched it on, Banach warned him "not to shine the laser
] in his eyes because it could blind him," the court
] documents say.

My suspicions seem confirmed by this man's statement. Don't look at the laser. Well, don't aim the laser somewhere it might meet someone's eyes.. Idiot. That is a very clear case of putting others at risk by not thinking. I'm not saying this guy should wind up in jail, but he was posing a risk to aviation, and a visible example of some sort should be made. Making someone look stupid that is doing something stupid using the mass media is a good way to go about it. Hopefully it ends there.

Green lasers are way more likely to harm the human eye then those red ones most people have because of the way your eyes see the color spectrum. The big brother to those little red laser pointers can to do very significant damage to the eye. If these risks are not seen by someone playing with even a weak laser, then they should be educated. We also don't know the specifics of what he had. A user on this system had a green laser that was strong enough to light a cigarette with, I know because I lit several with it. Blind pilots guiding a major airliner isn't something anyone would care to see, and that can happen, easily and accidentally.

Comments have been made regarding the 4th Amendment and the Patriot Act.. I could be missing details, but it seems like the Patriot Act was only what they charged him under, not how they collected evidence. I await to see how it is handled in the court. A sentence maximum of 25 years would actually make sense in a case where it was the expressed goal to take out the aircraft and its passengers. In a case of being stupid, I would assume the maximum would not apply. I could be wrong.

If a police helicopter looking for places shooting lasers at aircraft found itself being shot with a laser, well, that's not very intrusive. I don't see a 4th Admendment angle here. The search was in public space the searchers are designated to protect. The seizure occurred in a situation where the specific place and the specific item were identified. That is like a cop car driving around your neighborhood looking for people shooting bullets at cars, and finding itself shot at.


 
RE: NJ Man charged with aiming laser at aircraft
by flynn23 at 11:30 am EST, Jan 6, 2005

Rattle wrote:

] Comments have been made regarding the 4th Amendment and the
] Patriot Act.. I could be missing details, but it seems like
] the Patriot Act was only what they charged him under, not how
] they collected evidence. I await to see how it is handled in
] the court. A sentence maximum of 25 years would actually make
] sense in a case where it was the expressed goal to take out
] the aircraft and its passengers. In a case of being stupid, I
] would assume the maximum would not apply. I could be wrong.
]
] If a police helicopter looking for places shooting lasers at
] aircraft found itself being shot with a laser, well, that's
] not very intrusive. I don't see a 4th Admendment angle here.
] The search was in public space the searchers are designated to
] protect. The seizure occurred in a situation where the
] specific place and the specific item were identified. That is
] like a cop car driving around your neighborhood looking for
] people shooting bullets at cars, and finding itself shot at.

My thinking behind the 4th Amendment issue was more around 'punishment needs to fit the crime.' It's an abuse of police/state power to destroy this guys life for being an idiot and pointing a laser pointer at an airplane. Kinda like it's an abuse of power to throw a man in jail for taking an order to place an ad in the newspaper for an escort service.


  
RE: NJ Man charged with aiming laser at aircraft
by Decius at 2:01 pm EST, Jan 9, 2005

flynn23 wrote:
] My thinking behind the 4th Amendment issue was more around
] 'punishment needs to fit the crime.'

Thats the 8th amendment.


   
RE: NJ Man charged with aiming laser at aircraft
by flynn23 at 11:12 am EST, Jan 10, 2005

Decius wrote:
] flynn23 wrote:
] ] My thinking behind the 4th Amendment issue was more around
] ] 'punishment needs to fit the crime.'
]
] Thats the 8th amendment.

you're right! LOL! I think the reason why I said 4th was because I was thinking about how I'm sure this guy's house was ransacked by the FBI and his life turned upside down without warning. But the 8th would be more appropriate to my comments. dOh!


N.J. man charged with aiming laser at aircraft
by flynn23 at 2:12 am EST, Jan 6, 2005

] Banach made an initial appearance in court Tuesday and
] was released on $100,000 bond. He was charged with
] interfering with a flight crew under the USA Patriot Act.
] He also was charged with lying to federal officers. The
] charges carry a maximum jail sentence of 25 years.

welp, there goes the 4th Amendment.


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