"WTC jumpers still facing burglary charges"

[peek 21]

Well, this is interesting (WTC jumpers still facing burglary charges):

http://nypost.com/2014/06/25/wtc-jumpers-still-facing-burglary-charges/

A quote from the article: "Authorities seized $35,000 in equipment from the New Jersey business Sussex Skydive where Markovich is an instructor."

Do you suppose they are talking about the BASE rigs and video equipment? That figure seems kind of high.

[Quagmirian 40]

Fuck this whole thing. Is this is the USA's idea of justice, going after some base jumpers like they're the fucking bogeymen? Kind of ironic how they're facing jail terms for jumping off something called FREEDOM FUCKING TOWER.

If you can't tell, this has made me angry.

[mattjw916 2]

Don't lump the whole country in with that shit-hole known as NYC.

NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

[Bluhdow 31]

"Lawyers for the daredevil jumpers also asked the judge to compel prosecutors to return property seized in the execution of a search warrant including an Xbox and skydiving rigs."

Apex BASE
#1816

[yoink 321]

Quagmirian

Fuck this whole thing. Is this is the USA's idea of justice, going after some base jumpers like they're the fucking bogeymen? Kind of ironic how they're facing jail terms for jumping off something called FREEDOM FUCKING TOWER.

If you can't tell, this has made me angry.

Try and see the other side. The Freedom tower is an iconic representation of american pride - at least that's how some people see it. At the very least it was a pretty tacky thing to do - It's a memorial to thousands of people killed in a terrorist attack and to use it for sport, basically a few guys having a laugh, could be seen a cheapening what it stands for for a nation.

That sort of national pride is a bit of a strange concept to us Brits - it's taken a while of me living here to get used to it.

I don't believe for a second that the guys doing it didn't know that it wasn't a typical BASE jump and that if they were caught then it would be a media circus.

You don't get to do something illegal and them complain when you're caught.

I agree that going after the DZ where the guy was an instructor is fucking daft, but the guys who made the jump? they made their choices and they have to accept responsibility for the consequences.

[Di0 2]

On the other hand, charging them with burglary when they are clearly not involved in nay burglary, either real or attempted, is not justice at all.
Reckless endanger? Sure.
Illegal BASE activity? Pretty much so.
Trespassing? Yup.

I understand how a metropolis does not want people jumping from their skyscraper for fun and all.
But they are not burglars, they weren't there to commit any burglary and to go after them with that just for the sake of hitting them as hard as they can, is not justice. The correct name for that is simple: false and wrong accusation. It has nothing to do with pride.

I'm standing on the edge
With a vision in my head
My body screams release me
My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

[mkelly3078 0]

A waste of time and money. Fine them and drop it.

[3mpire 0]

Quote

It's a memorial to thousands of people killed in a terrorist attack and to use it for sport, basically a few guys having a laugh, could be seen a cheapening what it stands for for a nation.

Freedom tower is a for-profit commercial real-estate development project that leases office space to wall street firms. Trust me, nobody thinks of that tower itself as a sacred object.

The two footprints next to it, however, is a different story.

[jimmytavino 16]

mattjw916

Don't lump the whole country in with that shit-hole known as NYC.

.. and please be SURE NOT to lump the ENTIRE State,, along with That CITY, when speaking about New York...
The Idiocy of NYC... BELONGS to New York City
(no charge for the Public service announcement )

It could be an example of what happens with "a mixing pot " of peoples, ideas, cultures and Politics...

Sad to see.

[DougH 270]

Just more abuse of the justice system:

Search as seizure of items that had nothing to do with the base rig. Skydiving rigs had nothing to do with the alleged crime. Xbox had nothing to do with it. They aren't drug dealers buying exotic sports cars with dirty money!

Burglary? What did they attempt to steal other than freefall time?

Charge them with trespass and creating a public disturbance and move the fuck on.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[3mpire 0]

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They aren't drug dealers buying exotic sports cars with dirty money!

Because skydivers would never get involved with the drug trade ::cough::sugaralpha::cough

[DanG 1]

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Xbox had nothing to do with it.

They probably played Grand Theft Auto to practice for the jump.

- Dan G

[yoink 321]

Yup, but I just think it was entirely predictable that the reaction would be over the top, and as such can't be complained about too much.

If you get caught jumping off the Eiffel Tower or Houses of Parliament I'd put money on it that more aggressive 'justice' would be applied than if it was just a no-name building in the same city.

Not saying it's right, but to think they'd get away with a slap on the wrist seems overly optimistic. They're throwing the book thrown at them and will be charged with whatever they can make stick.


Yes, it's wrong. But I'm afraid I have no sympathy for the jumpers...

[evan85 0]

DougH

Burglary? What did they attempt to steal other than freefall time?

Without comment on the merits of the application of the law, "burglary" in New York (and many other states) does not require theft.

From New York Penal Code Article 140:

Quote

S 140.20 Burglary in the third degree.
A person is guilty of burglary in the third degree when he knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in a building with intent to commit a crime therein.
Burglary in the third degree is a class D felony.

[grimmie 186]

This is an attempt by the DA's office to make them an example, and discourage future BASE attempts in the city.

It looks pretty bad when the government spends trillions of dollars keeping America safe from the boogeyman, and a couple of young skydivers get off of objects, especially the newest and shiniest one in their "highly secure" city

sigh...

[normiss 843]

As my criminal defense attorney friend says: "Only break as many laws as you can afford at one time."

Sure it was cool to jump from, but did anyone truthfully understand and appreciate the legal risk being taken?
I'm not saying I think the law is in the right, but bitching about bad laws after breaking them isn't the right approach IMO.

[DougH 270]

This is one of the reasons I don't base jump, I hold a CPA license and I want to ever be putting on my license renewal that I was arrested for criminal trespass.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[grue 1]

NYC in a nutshell: Overly sensitive, cotton-wrapped, and run by cowards.

cavete terrae.

[BMFin 0]

"Authorities seized $35,000 in equipment from the New Jersey business Sussex Skydive where Markovich is an instructor."

WTF?

What does skydive sussex have to do with this? Or was the aquipment owned by this Markovich fellow?

[neflier 0]

Iago

In my opinion this entire incident highlights two things:

1- the level of surveillance present in out modern society

2- the level to which law enforcement/judicial system will pursue and prosecute relatively victimless crimes if they involve public disgrace

The police got the 'criminals' in this case by using cameras, bridge toll information, plate readers, etc. to narrow down which car they thought was involved as they cruised through the area. That level of metadata scares me.

They also insisted on felony charges since they were embarrassed by two serious security breeches in a short period of time. The first was a teenager who somehow circumvented all the wiz-bang security at the tower and got up to the top of the spire.

Be afraid, people. Be very afraid.

+1

Life is too short to drink cheap beer.

[Doug_Davis 0]

Just FYI to all, in case you didnt know the borough District Attorneys are elected in New York City. They are political positions. And nothing helps you get elected like being tough on crime in a highly publicized case.

This isnt about what these four guys did. This is about a DA and his ladder climbing ADA getting free press in the paper in what has become a fairly publicized case. If the press hadnt picked this story up these guys would have been pled out to misdemeanor criminal trespassing charges.

Hell its public knowledge that the DA in the Bronx only prosecutes half of the people arrested there. Like completely drops all charges, against 50% of the arrests.

[BMFin 0]

Sick system you guys have there..

[GD64 1]

Well said.
They can't wait to use those billions of rounds of recently purchased hollow point on ..........

O/T sorry

[Dean358 0]

Link to a NYT article about this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/25/nyregion/district-attorneys-office-showing-no-leniency-in-two-manhattan-daredevil-cases.html

www.wci.nyc

[Andy9o8 2]

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Just FYI to all, in case you didnt know the borough District Attorneys are elected in New York City. They are political positions.

Chief county district attorneys are elected in the vast majority of states in the US. And in the few states where the top county prosecutor is appointed, the process is still very political.

Quote

Hell its public knowledge that the DA in the Bronx only prosecutes half of the people arrested there. Like completely drops all charges, against 50% of the arrests.

According to This Article, the overall figure is actually in the 18-24% range for the past few years. Still high as compared to the other 4 Boroughs, but those are the data points.

I've been involved with criminal justice all over the country. On balance, I do think the DA's office is being too harshly zealous in this case. But all the NYC-bashing I've been seeing in this thread is silly to the point of juvenile.