Posted on 02/05/2003 2:02:05 PM PST by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
LUFKIN, Texas (AP) - Two Texans were indicted Wednesday on federal charges they stole pieces of space shuttle Columbia that had dropped onto the countryside. Federal officials in Texas also declared an amnesty period extending until 5 p.m. Friday, during which people who have collected shuttle debris can turn it in without fear of being prosecuted. After that, prosecutions will resume, they said. Merrie Hipp, 43, of Henderson, was charged with theft of government property for allegedly stealing a shuttle circuit board on Saturday.
Bradley Justin Gaudet, 23, of Nacogdoches, was charged in a separate incident with stealing a piece of thermal insulating fabric. Gaudet is a student at Steven F. Austin State University. "The issue here is the thermodynamics of the space shuttle and any piece of that is important to this investigation," said U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby. "No one knows which piece will unravel the mystery." The charges carry a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Both defendants awaited arraignment Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities said they are conducting at least 17 investigations into reports of people taking shuttle debris as souvenirs. They would not give specifics or comment on whether those cases were related to attempts by people to sell purported shuttle debris on eBay. "These two individuals are first," Orwig said. "There is no particular threshold. They are an example, whether it's our intention or not. Authorities urged members of the public to take advantage of the amnesty period. "If you turn the piece over and describe where you found the piece, we will not prosecute you," Orwig said.
And I agree that "it is unethical to knowingly keep evidence of an accident", and I wouldn't do it.
A lot of you don't seem to understand what an insane thing the machinery of the legal system is. Once it starts running, it'll squash anybody in its path, unless they happen to know the meaning of "is" and the secret handshakes of the Club.
ohhhh... and you don't even have that right jane jackboots, a conscientious person who realized what it was AND thought there was enough separation between them and the object to keep themselves safe from prosecutorial overreaching... would not call NASA -- they would call police. anonymously.
That's Easy!.......Mexico!
We have more than 9,000 attorneys employed by the federal Department of Justice. I wish they'd spend some time prosecuting other federal lawbreakers such as the millions of illegal aliens and those who hire them. The presence of these lawbreakers DOES impact our lives directly. They drain money for health care and education. They take jobs others (legally entitled to be here) need. They traffic in other humans smuggled and in drugs. Many pay no federal income taxes. Many send virtually every cent they earn in this country to another country - the country of their TRUE love and allegiance.
Stealing shuttle parts is a crime but our federal government conveniently decides other laws more important to our society won't be enforced. A lot of us are thoroughly pissed off at the screwed-up priorities of this mockery of justice.
or would just keep it quiet. The gummint needs to be crystal clear about the threshold for prosecution and that should be when it's pretty damn obvious the person had no doubt about the identity of the object.
or would just keep it quiet. The gummint needs to be crystal clear about the threshold for prosecution and that should be when it's pretty damn obvious the person had no doubt about the identity of the object.
On that we are in full agreement. Someone once said that there are so many laws on the books that, if the government wanted to, they could successfully prosecute every last man, woman, and child for SOMETHING. As conscientious as I try to be, I probably violate a few dozen laws/regulations every day.
I understand where your thought processes are in this, but if you are indeed a lawgirl, certainly you understand that this dictum applies to every scrap of the huge shuttle, including lockwashers and non-descript stuff of a similar nature, which was sprayed over hundreds of square miles.
And that our law-saturated country doesn't really need another "law" that citizens can be abused with.
Free Americans will do the right thing - they don't need to be bullied by grandstanding prosecutors.
And chillingly the Feds said "there is no particular threshold." I.e. if you pick up a piece of junk after the ridiculously short amnesty and later realize it might be a piece of shuttle and are so stupid as to turn it in to your local police in person... wham there could come the juggernaut. I hope the courts slap the feds and hard, early in this process.
**Chuckle** Lectured by a newbie on my "ignorance". Just another day on the Free Republic. ;-)
I took apart a three-speed bicycle hub on my bench once upon a time. Just keeping the parts straight from an assembly the size of my fist was a nightmare, much less exploding the thing over the back forty.
Obviously ain't a whole lot of mechanics on this thread.
What if someone found a tile from the shuttle, and decided to keep it. Then, a neighbor gets wind of it and tells an FBI agent. What would you suggest the FBI do? Go and take it away, but take no other action against the person? What if the person were making plans to sell the tile? Would that rise to the level of crime? I'm asking this in all earnestness, as I realize what a slippery slope this can be (not even considering the inconsistency of selective enforcement, which, in my opinion, only clouds the issue at hand).
Fair enough, given that some pinhead selling a critical piece of evidence on eBay could end up causing the death of another shuttle crew.
You didn't commit suicide? You should go to the mental health clinic!
It's not a "souvenir". It's part of a federal investigation. It's not like the perps didn't know they were flouting the law. They're punks.
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