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Glenn "Cannon Balls" Hughes, a mail carrier that took it upon himself to fly a gyrocopter into restricted space in Washington, D.C. to deliver messages to Congress, is now facing more charges and possible prison time, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Shortly after being arrested, he was charged with crimes that could have put him behind bars for up to five years. Now additional charges have been added to raise that to a possible nine-and-a-half years, almost double the time he faced at first.
Amid the debate, lawmakers have suggested that the laws under which Hughes faced charges should be updated with tougher penalties.
When Hughes was first charged in April, he faced fewer counts and a possible sentence of fewer than five years in prison.
The list of charges seems a bit over the top, but that level of vindictiveness from our government seems the norm these days, OMO.
"I am more convinced than ever that I did the right thing," Hughes said in a Wednesday evening interview.
The charges include two felonies: one count each of operating as an airman without an airman's certificate and violating registration requirements involving aircraft. In addition, he was indicted on four misdemeanor counts: three counts of violation of national defense airspace, and one of operating a vehicle falsely labeled as a postal carrier.
If Hughes is convicted of either of the two felonies, he will be required to forfeit his gyrocopter to the federal government.
Hughes called his potential sentence "excessive" because of the nature of his action: an act of civil disobedience where no one was hurt, and no property was damaged.
"How is that worth 9½ years?" he said. "I think the prosecutor has an uphill battle."
Hughes said he is not certain what will happen at Thursday's arraignment. But he said he is open to the idea of a plea bargain, if it means no jail time. But he also is prepared for the possibility that his case could go in front of a jury.
I'm not certain I would have his optimism about the prosecution having an uphill battle, but I do hope he is right about that.
Disclaimer: I take full blame for the 'Cannon Balls' moniker in the title summary. It was meant to be a statement and show of my admiration for G. Hughes, who I see as worthy of respect, whether you agree with his cause, or not.
(Score: 1, Troll) by jmorris on Friday May 22 2015, @05:47PM
Talking about this moron's fate is merely a distraction from the bigger, more embarrassing question of why the moron is still breathing.
DC is supposed to be closed airspace. DC is Capital City, it is said to be impregnable, all seeing, all knowing, all wise. One idiot on a gyrocopter flies right in and lands unharmed. This idiot was just a protester without much common sense, but it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see how bad this lapse in security could have been. But allowing people to think along those lines is dangerous. If Capital City isn't impregnable, perhaps it isn't all seeing either?
When the entire 'rational' basis behind most government policy rests on a belief that the State is all knowing and absolutely the only entity who can know how to manage our lives due to their superior knowledge, wisdom and compassion, demonstrations of their utter incompetence must be swept under the rug quickly.
No, the question which must be hammered at them again and again with the zeal of a grilling a Republican about buttsex is "Why is this guy still alive?" But don't expect The Party's media/PR shops to do it because they are part of the same governing machinery. We need to be doing it. Start going to to town hall meetings with your Congresscritter and bring it up. Break the illusion they are a higher order of 'Ruling Class Elite.'
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @07:25PM
Peaceful civil disobedience is definitely a crime deserving of execution. How DARE these bootlickers not roll over and bow down to the authority of the masters? Taking them out into the street and blowing their heads off in public will surely solve that problem, nobody would dare challenge the power$ that be ever again.
(Score: 2) by jmorris on Friday May 22 2015, @08:33PM
Way to miss the point. We are told over and over about how teh teroristz wil kilz us all and we have to totally close the airspace over places like DC. And they do have a point, that gyrocopter was more than big enough to disperse any of a number of nasty things right in the heart of the Capital. So of course he should have been identified and blown out of the sky by the all powerful, all seeing State. The photo of him on the grounds of the Capital refutes all of that narrative. They aren't all powerful, they aren't all seeing. They are merely an illusion of competence. And that is what we should be hammering home, over and over again.
You want to stop the growth and intrusiveness of the State, that is the weak spot in their armor, if ye have the courage to strike. Decide, do you want to stop the abuses by the State; even if it means weakening it everywhere, including the parts you want so very much for it to rule you and make your decisions for you? Or do you want to shut the hell up and hope your chains wear easily upon you?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @08:48PM
I want to marry a cute young girl or two and rule over *her*.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:24PM
And how, exactly, does rallying for the execution of a peaceful protester do that?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 22 2015, @11:46PM
Now that's a strawman if i ever saw one. Who, besides idiotic sophistic conservatives and authoritarians (groups which have an overwhelming amount of overlap), thinks that the basis behind any government policy is that "the government knows best"? That's certainly the thinking behind conservatives banning abortions, [motherjones.com] fighting to make birth control unavailable, [usatoday.com] dictating how people can spend their money, [soylentnews.org] trying to dictate who one is allowed to be in a relationship with, [vice.com] what people are allowed to do behind closed doors, [slate.com] what they can put in their body, [fff.org] etc - you know, the literal nanny state they have implemented, expanding government over and over again just to interfere and dictate how people can live their lives like an actual nanny - but for non-conservatives is all about the idea that people in society should help each other, and that whichever tool is best for this, be it government or whatever, is what should be used.