Man Charged Under Patriot Act for Laser

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Federal authorities Tuesday used the Patriot Act to charge a man with pointing a laser beam at an airplane overhead and temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot.

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

Banach, 38, 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.

He is the first person arrested after a recent rash of reports around the nation of laser beams hitting airplanes.


http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050105/D87DMD880.html

atleast 200 feet over head, in fast moving vehicles, from underneath....RIIIIGHT

"Banach bought the device on the Internet for $100 for his job testing fiber-optic cable."

Try googling green light laser.

she works in fibre optics, doing installations.

The idea of one of these testers blinding someone is very sketchy. Yeah, it likely difracted on the windshield, and the pilot freaked out and reported it, and said he and the copilot were 'blinded'. It might have impaired their vision through the window, for a split second. That's it.

This is another overreaction.

Anything strong enough to actually blind them wouldn't be handheld, and would cost a lot more than $100.

but how the hell do you get an angle on something like that

But this way they can put him in jail for life without all the bother of a trial. Just kidding, I think.

What a bunch of crap.

Our vigilant feds busting laser-pointers, while container ships go uninspected...

With the thousands of container ships entering US harbors each week, and DHS underfunded for inspections and NBC detectors in each of our ports, the opportunity for terr'ists to exploit this weakness is great.

Instead, we'll fill Gitmo with telecommunications workers suffering from colossally bad judgement...:eyes:

are excluded from the inspections.

The "Patriot Act" now applies to domestic law enforcement cases, even if they have nothing to do with terrorism.

Stay tuned.


MDN

They've used the Patriot Act to go after the owners of strip joints. The Act has little really to do with terrorism... it simply made the US a police state, yet nobody noticed.

No offense. But you and I are "nobody." When will the "somebodies" care, or is it too late?

"We" let them get away with it. Welcome to the new USofA.

on edit:

meaning - getting Fucked not that you are Fucking Americans...just wanted to clarify

And I think I was told that Calico Johnnie wouldn't turn his evil powers against non-muslim people, so chill out, dude...

We're nobodies.

It doesn't surprise me, but I'm curious about how the argument was constructed.

a loan officer telling a client that under the Patriot Act, they would need copies of the client's driver's license. Wasn't paying any attention to what had been said before those two words 'Patriot Act' were said. That perked my ears right up. What the f* does getting a home loan have to do with the PA?????

Really not too dangerous, it requires financial institutions to verify the identification of people opening accounts. Its meant to stop money-laundering.

And there is nothing innocuous about attempting to blind the pilots while landing where even a second's interruption might cost lives.

Yes, I'm guessing they could do this under normal law -- attempted murder, assault, etc., but it still looks like terrorism to me.

The man was playing around with his new toy.

Even the FBI just call it "foolish and negligent".

I know I wouldn't.

And they THEMSELVES are saying it was NOT terrorism, it was JUST A FOOLHARDY and NEGLIGENT thing to do.

In which case there was no need whatsoever to charge the guy under the Patriot Act.

And yet so many are critical of them any other time.

Personally, I would have made it easy and charged him with assault, attempted murder and anything else under the sun I could find. However, I think attacking an aircraft is still terrorism.

It isn't attempted murder; look up the legal definition.

The man was sitting with his daughter in his backyard flashing their new laser toy at stars. There is NO WAY he could have known it would hit the cockpit & blind the pilots, he was too far away and at night for him to have known this.

He was STUPID. FOOLHARDY. NEGLIGENT.

It was NOT "attacking an aircraft"! That's so totally ridiculous.

if nothing else, at least you are consistent.

"Trying to bring down an aircraft is terrorism in my book"

and please explain how pointing a laser is "Trying to bring down an aircraft."

The bush admin thanks you for your support.

RL

Hitting the pilots while they land has to be far worse.

And the Bush admin doesn't get my support. Neither do people who put hundreds at risk by attacking pilots.

a stupid, foolhardy, negligent thing to do.

But it wouldn't be terrorism.

But when you do it wholescale and attack an airplane while landing, it's terror.

Coz they're calling it "foolhardy and negligent" and "no connection to terrorism".

Good grief.

requires intent.

Nice over-reaction.

RL

and not terror, so sayeth the FBI.

Nice try.

RL

again, at least you are consistent.

RL

entire family while they shine bright lights into his eyes.

That'll Teach Him!!

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

Thank god for the Patriot Act. At first, I thought it restricted our civil liberties. Now I see that my civil liberties were restricted because some people are foolhardy and negligent. Lucky me.

Now that was a case of terrorism. Funny how perps using weapons grade anthrax from secure military labs that kills people can't be found, but they manage to nail a guy pointing a low power laser at a helicopter.

Um... If there was no connection to terrorism isn't it an abuse of the Patriot act to use it in this case? Why isn't anyone saying anything? I thought that was the claim of supporters... that it would not be abused for "normal" crime??? I would think there are other laws that could be used to deal with this.

and should be repealed immediately.

This is an example of abuse of an unconstitutional act which should either be repealed or adjudged in breach of the constitution by SCOTUS!!!

It is incredible that "the people" are being corralled like this in a country which calls itself a democracy.

Incredible!!!

terrorism.

Yet again, BUSH LIED.

And what are the senate rethugs saying about this??? 'Oh well, you should have known':

Mark Corallo, a spokesman for the Justice Department, insisted lawmakers were fully aware the Patriot Act had far-reaching implications beyond fighting terrorism when the legislation was adopted in October 2001.

Corallo said federal law enforcement officials have no qualms about using the act to pursue an array of criminal investigations that have nothing to do with terrorism, such as child pornography, drug trafficking and money laundering.

http://reviewjournal.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&expire=&urlID=8164533&fb=Y&partnerID=565

Gee..."libruls" were absolutely correct yet again when we worried over how the PA could and would be used for other than terrorism even when bushCartel & the rightwingnuts scoffed at that.

That's why M. Moore had to READ IT TO THEM (I loved that scene in the ice cream truck)

the PA would only be used for cases of terrorism.

The #1 reason so many states and cities and people opposed the PA was fear that it would NOT just be used for prosecuting terrorism cases!!!

Every frigging rightwingnut in the country was scoffing atus libruls and the ACLU for arguing that the PA was so wide in scope it would be far beyond just terrorism cases!

And NOW these bastards have the frigging NERVE, when they get caught doing EXACTLY what we were all worried they would do, the NERVE to say "well you KNEW we'd do that"!!!

A rushing river, swollen from floods...a turtle and a scorpion are on the bank. The scorpion needs to get to the other side, and asks the turtle to give him a ride over.

"Are you sure you won't sting me? If you do, we'll both drown" said the turtle.

"I promise I won't sting you" replied the scorpion.

Halfway across the river, the scorpion stings the turtle.

"WHY! Why did you sting me! Now we'll both drown!" cried the turtle.

"I'm a scorpion" said the scorpion.

"It's in my nature."

And that's the rethugs; it's in their nature.

and they told me that they were investigating an armed robbery and would I give my consent for them to look for guns? "Sure go ahead," I told them "I don't have any guns."

Well the next thing I know they're dumping out my ashtray. "Hey I don't have any guns in my ash tray!" I said indignantly. "Shut up and step back from the car you gave consent!"

Luckily there wasn't anything left in my ashtray or anywhere else so they had to let me go. But another indication of what happens if you're not thinking.

they'll keep testing the fascist waters to set precedents that they can use later.

have no opposition. There is no keeping up with them especially since most people are just too naive and trusting.

Most of you are discussing the laser here while the real news here is PATRIOT.

Remember:
1) PATRIOT was agreed upon because it was meant to be used on terrorists (that was the first mistake - "special" laws should NEVER be passed, under no circumstances!).

2) Just some days ago it was announced that some gang member was being tried under PATRIOT. NOT because he is a terrorist but because "gangs could do terrorist deeds". So for the first time the government decided it could define what a terrorist was. There was no outcry.

3) Now we have a poor man who is neither a terrorist nor a criminal. Whatever this laser beam story may be: Here now we have an ordinary citizen - "The FBI acknowledged the incident had no connection to terrorism" - an ordinary citizen I say, ordinary if "foolhardy and negligent", being tried under PATRIOT.

David Banach has made it into the history books. Remember my words in days to come.

My goodness wise up QUICKLY. Do you not see the writing on the wall?


-------------------

Remember Fallujah!

Bush to The Hague

It's that the American people haven't had the benefit of a free media for a few years, and the Democrats who's JOB IT IS to pay attention to this crap have lost their will!

(BTW.. shameless link to post re our weak kneed Dems here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1122651

and I get my news from the internet like most of you. Now that source of information is open to anybody - anybody willing. Those WILLING to stay blindfolded are not to be pitied but blamed.


-------------------

Remember Fallujah!

Bush to The Hague

(the 20,000 figure takes into consideration that a lot of our vaunted 50,000+ members are not active or have become pizzas)

FAUX NOOZ has more viewers than DU, my friends....

If an official of the US government can call the School Board a "terrorist organization", they're propably not going to mind calling DU a "terrorist organization".

And wham. Every member of DU to Gitmo.

***And before the freepers smile, that means YOU TOO. Or did you think the US government would scroll thru all the posts to see who was saying nice things about our dictator to exempt those REGISTERED MEMBERS?

If you thought this, you need to reread the PA; it says ANYONE having ANYTHING to do with ANY GROUP designated a terrorist organization. As in ALL REGISTERED MEMBERS and anyone who has EVER been a REGISTERED MEMBER at ANY time.

And don't forget, you don't get a lawyer or a trial to explain how you're actually a good bushbot simply spying on the terra-ist libruls.

And some day when you're bored, do a google search on The Enabling Act; compare it to bush's Patriot Act.

in Cleveland and Chicago? If not is there a movement among laser beam owners to point into cockpit of planes?

Really odd string of stories per the laser beams...

Initially, he claimed his daughter aimed the device at the helicopter, they said.


What a man! blame the kid! sheesh

Father-of-the-Year

gee, tell me again how this act wasn't going to be abused? I agree what the guy did was stupid, but I don't like the concept of using the unPATRIOTic Act to charge him.

The Law of Unintended Consequences, it seems, applies here. The man got a new toy. He played with it, so it appears, in a foolhardy manner (although I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain about it being "foolhardy" when he was standing on the ground, several thousand feet below the aircraft, at what I would assume is a most inappropriate angle for "blinding" anyone).

Da Fedz also have a new toy, courtesy of daddy boosh**. And they're playing with it, too.

Gitmo isn't big enough to hold all the people in the U.S. who've done foolhardy and/or negligent things in their lives.

We now live in an uncivilized/cave-man society!!!

What if this is part of an elaborate plan to throw off the suspicion of the REAL reason that lasers are being pointed at airplanes?
I mean, does anybody really think that some regular shmoe on the ground can get get a good angle so that the beam can actually stike into a cockpit of a plane?
Yeah-I don't have a reason for why this would happen but it is being reported around the country.
Maybe if we read of other stories like this one (where the feds pick up people for these foolhardy and negligent acts) maybe then we can really start to suspect something much more sinister. :tinfoilhat:

And yes, the Patriot Act is anything but patriotic I agree.

locking

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1120817