OT: UK Law Student Charged in CWS Drone Crash

[Smashcat]

AP Top 25 ‏@AP_Top25 18m18 minutes ago

Kentucky law student charged with wanton endangerment after drone crash http://apne.ws/1QtxU9e (@garybgraves) #UK pic.twitter.com/1AqPP7cfzT

 

[TheTruCatsFan]

At least he won't have to pay for an attorney.

 

[redleg27]

I am sorry but they are really blowing this way out of proportion. That thing he was flying was a toy and was not a risk to anyone. My son has a drone like that and it couldn't hurt anyone if it wanted to. They have been sensationalizing this whole thing for some reason.

 

[Johnfarrel]

As my Mother used to say "That thing could put your eye out!"

The drone itself might not be much of a problem, but suppose someone tied a stick of dynamite with an impact fuse on it. That is why you can't allow them to be flown over a stadium or near an airport. I don't believe this guy meant any harm, but someone else might.

 

[appaws]

Wow. I was really shocked to hear this as a former UK law student. We were held to fairly high standards of behavior, and of course having gone through undergrad with excellent grades and getting the high LSAT score necessary to get into become an ADVOcat, most people are pretty damn mature by that point.

He should have known better.

 

[gobigblue812]

Yeah, no way a falling object from that high up could injure a child if it hit him/her.

 

[Rhavicc]

Deserves what he's getting. Should help him grow up a little.

 

[Chuckinden]

I saw that thing flying over the field and I thought it was sponsored by the UK Athletic Dept. since he was flying over a populated area.

 

[JumperJack]

Pretty clearly an idiot.

 

[zcats]

I thought it was pretty close to the drop path of the last parachutist. We were watching it for quite a while. We wondered if the guy saw it and had to avoid the drone.

 

[canebreak]

I thought it was pretty close to the drop path of the last parachutist. We were watching it for quite a while. We wondered if the guy saw it and had to avoid the drone.

Deserves what he's getting. Should help him grow up a little.

Wow you guys are some real hard A's. We're going to potentially punish the future of this kid for flying a high end toy. Make him take a common sense class or do some service but don't rruun his freaking career

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

Those drones are nothing but trouble. Watch and see. Outlaw em now.

 

[TBCat]

I thought it was pretty close to the drop path of the last parachutist. We were watching it for quite a while. We wondered if the guy saw it and had to avoid the drone.

It was. It nearly hit one of them. One of the parachutists complained that they have to take evasive actions to avoid it getting caught in his shoot. This was a very dangerous and very stupid thing and he should be charged.

 

[Kybluedude]

Nobody got hurt. Just put out a warning for the future. Why is everything so punitive?

 

[postmodernprimate]

I am sorry but they are really blowing this way out of proportion. That thing he was flying was a toy and was not a risk to anyone. My son has a drone like that and it couldn't hurt anyone if it wanted to. They have been sensationalizing this whole thing for some reason.

"One of the skydivers told police he had to take evasive measures to avoid the drone, which came within 20 feet of his parachute." The drone also entered the airspace of UK's Chandler Hospital Helipad and Baptist Hospital's Helipad.

Pfft. The United States Army Parachute Team & Medevac pilots. Bunch of sensationalist whiners.

 

[RocknRollCats]

Stupid move by someone who should have known better...

Even as a student at UK years ago, had drones existed, I would have dismissed this idea as stupid the moment I considered it.

 

[BigBluePhantom]

He should have known better. However, a few years ago, this would have been handled with a stern talk and a warning. Unfortunately, the days of no harm, no foul are long gone. It is a cover you azz world that we live in today. I saw this coming from day one. I am sure that nobody at UK wanted to charge this student for his idiotic act. However, when it came down to it, the legal department told them that they had to show due diligence or risk a bigger suit the next time a student does something stupid and it actually causes damages. Hopefully, the kid can do some community service and stay in law school through all this.

 

[Stretch98]

Just a matter of time until one of these things gets sucked into a jet engine and brings down an airliner.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Stupid move by someone who should have known better...

Even as a student at UK years ago, had drones existed, I would have dismissed this idea as stupid the moment I considered it.

If they had existed when I was at UGA many years ago I would have had my hovering over the area the co-eds did their suntanning, it was surrounded by a fence, problem solved.

 

[CrustyCat]

Charged with Wanton Endangerment Second Degree:

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=19735


508.070 Wanton endangerment in the second degree.
(1) A person is guilty of wanton endangerment in the second degree when he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a substantial danger of physical injury to another person.
(2) Wanton endangerment in the second degree is a Class A misdemeanor.


Definitions of terms for the penal code:

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=19642

Definitions of mental states, including "wanton."

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=19642

(3) "Wantonly" -- A person acts wantonly with respect to a result or to a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense when he is aware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the result will occur or that the circumstance exists. The risk must be of such nature and degree that disregard thereof constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the situation. A person who creates such a risk but is unaware thereof solely by reason of voluntary intoxication also acts wantonly with respect thereto.

 

[rudd1]

-worst thing about law students is that eventually they become lawyers.

 

[Greasy Creak Mafia]

I say a 10 year federal sentence would be smart. Half the other people in the system are in for petty $h!t like this, why not expand our out of control court and prison system.

By the time they are done with this , this future lawyer will be playing bocce ball and chess with Bernie Madoff.

 

[southindycat]

Some of you state militia officers need to quit acting like he is charged with a felony. Misdemeanor charge is on point. He also deserves university discipline, though it should fall short of dismissal. I am thinking probationary status for a year. Unfortunately, the actual university penalty is hard to predict.

 

[Johnfarrel]

This will, and should be, plead down to some lesser charge. His career should not be ended, but the school has to let it be shown that it is serious about stuff like this.

 

[NCukcat62]

Probably an entitled brat that thought they were untouchable.

 

[yoshukai]

Wow. I was really shocked to hear this as a former UK law student. We were held to fairly high standards of behavior, and of course having gone through undergrad with excellent grades and getting the high LSAT score necessary to get into become an ADVOcat, most people are pretty damn mature by that point.

He should have known better.

My son is a first year law student at UK . He says it's been the talk all week but this guy is NOT a first year law student at UK . There are 113 students and he isn't one of them

 

[NCukcat62]

This will, and should be, plead down to some lesser charge. His career should not be ended, but the school has to let it be shown that it is serious about stuff like this.

I agree with this. He didn't have malicious inent but dumb nonetheless.

 

[SaguaroCat]

This is not a case of educating everyone will make them stop. If you don't enforce these laws designed to protect people from dumbasses, the dumbasses of the world will continually break them.

They spend money on these things, and think it entitles them to take them anywhere. I didn't spend 1000 to take this to my uncle's farm. How will I get liked on youtube to fill my worth as a person doing that. I want to video thousands of people gathered in one spot underneath this three pound floating brick.

Then you got the "my rights" babies, who have no sense of anyone but themselves. Every rule to protect others is an attack on their constitutional right to do whatever they want.

And finally, I'm constantly amazed at how many adults still think I didn't mean to is a good excuse. My kids use it to explain breaking a picture while rough housing. That's expected. But grown adults continually put others at risk as ok because I was just trying to have some fun.


In short,

 

[Fecesforbrains]

I'm
Just so glad that most of the public flapping their gums about this are so pristine white in their behavior absolute group of alter boys....foot Of the cross population we have... Good lord I'm
Just tickled that one dumba55 college kid move isn't going to ruin the kids life... Enough with the sensationalism

 

[BlueRaider22]

The FAA ruled a No Fly Zone over all stadiums a while back. This kid broke this rule. Not to mention that he flew right between two hospitals who have NFZ as well.

If rules are in place then they should be enforced.

If I choose to speed while driving, I am knowingly choosing to break the rules. More than likely no one will get hurt because of my speeding but it does increase risk to others. And I certainly expect to be punished if I get caught.

 

[_ukcat]

 

[meteordealer]

Just a matter of time until one of these things gets sucked into a jet engine and brings down an airliner.

Maybe we should outlaw birds since there are hundreds, if not thousands, of bird strikes on commercial aircraft every year.

I think people are completely going off the deep end over the drones. Should we just ban ALL radio controlled aircraft while we're at it?

I saw a kid flying a kite pretty high the other day. Maybe we should throw him in juvenile hall for endangering people's lives.

 

[appaws]

It strikes me that a misdemeanor charge and probation from the law school would be reasonable IF it is his first time getting into trouble.

One of the problems he could face in the future is the fact that the Bar Association background checks are very strict and very thorough. Way more so than law school. They are very careful to tell people that just because you get through law school does not assure you of being licensed, the BA can deny you.

Having a misdemeanor on your record would normally not stop you from being licensed, as long as you are candid about it on the application. I had classmates (smart ones too) who are licensed now who had DUIs and citations for things like public drunkenness. One guy I remember....we went out drinking on our first Friday of being 1Ls...I left and went home at like 8pm....one guy stayed until like 2am, passed out on the curb for 2 hours and got arrested at 4am. He got through OK.

 

[kb22stang]

A lot pompousness in this thread

 

[UKWildcats#8]

He broke the law, and should be punished according to the law on this matter. Not really any debate on that. He didn't kill anyone or hurt anyone, but still was in no fly zone. His life should not be ruined long term though.

 

[lakercat]

People making excuses for this "kid" amuse me. If this guy has any common sense, he knows that you are not supposed to fly these things in NFZ. One should know that hospital helipads and a packed stadium would be off-limits; this is mere common sense. He made the choice; he should have to suffer the consequences. If he is not a first year law student, one can deduct that he is at least 23; he is old enough to know better, and is responsible for his actions. People do stupid things all of the time, but they have to suffer the consequences. "Young and stupid" does not excuse you, or exempt you from the impending consequences. No excuses. If this is his first infraction, a fine/community service, with a one-semester suspension is sufficient. I think that probation is too light. People get kicked out for less than that. I guess if you have the money to pay, then, why not keep them in? If he would have injured someone, this would have been far worse. I also believe in far stiffer penalties for repeat offenders. In this case, one more similar offense should carry a small jail sentence (<30 days), since he clearly would not have learned the lesson the first time, in addition to dismissal. I find many people to be factually smart (aka "book smart"), but have an IQ of 20 when concerning common sense.

 

[BigBluePhantom]

People making excuses for this "kid" amuse me. If this guy has any common sense, he knows that you are not supposed to fly these things in NFZ. One should know that hospital helipads and a packed stadium would be off-limits; this is mere common sense. He made the choice; he should have to suffer the consequences. If he is not a first year law student, one can deduct that he is at least 23; he is old enough to know better, and is responsible for his actions. People do stupid things all of the time, but they have to suffer the consequences. "Young and stupid" does not excuse you, or exempt you from the impending consequences. No excuses. If this is his first infraction, a fine/community service, with a one-semester suspension is sufficient. I think that probation is too light. People get kicked out for less than that. I guess if you have the money to pay, then, why not keep them in? If he would have injured someone, this would have been far worse. I also believe in far stiffer penalties for repeat offenders. In this case, one more similar offense should carry a small jail sentence (<30 days), since he clearly would not have learned the lesson the first time, in addition to dismissal. I find many people to be factually smart (aka "book smart"), but have an IQ of 20 when concerning common sense.

 

[redleg27]

Should they also be kicked out for having an air soft gun fight?

 

[Smashcat]

My son is a first year law student at UK . He says it's been the talk all week but this guy is NOT a first year law student at UK . There are 113 students and he isn't one of them

So he's a liar too?

 

[BigBluePhantom]

Should they also be kicked out for having an air soft gun fight?

Please don't use logic in these discussions. You will surely pizz off the know-it-alls.