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Australia: 2+ years in jail

Lanfranco Baldetti, 23
Adelaide, SA, Australia


Baldetti pleaded guilty in April 2008 to “prejudicing the safe operation of an aircraft” as well as having illegal weapons in his car.

In June 2007, a green laser beam was aimed at a police helicopter flying over Rosewater in Adelade. The pilot was temporarily blinded for several seconds.

Baldetti said at one point that the helicopter pilot aimed a spotlight at him, causing Baldetti to retaliate with the laser. More specifically, when police told him it was illegal to aim a laser at an aircraft, Baldetti replied “What about him shining a big f***ing torch at me?… He started it.”

Sentencing was delayed because the judge wanted a psychiatric report on Baldetti: “This is, on the face of it, such a mindless thing to do. I’d like to have some expert view about what underpins this…. I would be much helped to understand what happened here.”

He could have been given a maximum sentence of 14 years. He was given a jail term of two years and three months. He will be eligible for release after 10 months.

He appealed his sentence but was denied by the Court of Criminal Appeal on August 21 2008.

From ABC News, The Advertiser (original report quoted in a forum post, psychiatric report, appeal),

US: 2 years probation

David Banach, 38
Parsippany, New Jersey, US

david-banach-laser

On December 31 2004, Banach aimed a laser pointer at a police helicopter searching for the source of a laser that illuminated a charter jet two nights earlier. Banach was charged with terrorism under the Patriot Act in a high-profile case attracting media attention worldwide. He faced 25 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Under a plea bargain, Banach pleaded guilty to shining a laser beam at an airplane (another source says the charge was interfering with the operator of a mass transit vehicle). Charges of lying to the FBI were dropped. On February 15 2008 he was sentenced to two years probation with no fines or other penalties. His lawyer also says the judge restored Banach’s reputation. The New York Times reported that Banach had received threatening letters and had lost two jobs.