Drone Used To Drop Contraband in GA Prison.

[RiffRandell]

Picture in article:

They had already made two drops of rolling tobacco into the prison yard before a guard noticed the drone hovering above the gate. A search led police to a suspicious car nearby. They searched it, and found the copter and "one or two pounds of tobacco rolled up" for delivery.

The foursome faces up to 20 years in prison for crossing prison lines with contraband, which seems pretty harsh. It's not like they Hellfired anyone.

Link: http://gawker.com/georgia-police-bust-drone-dropping-contraband-into-pri-1472633983

[cantbeserious]

1. Double Standards - No We Can't Have Double Standards In The USA

eom

[Cirque du So-What]

8. Well played

especially in light of your username, which is very close to the exact phrase I formed in my mind when I saw your post

In actuality, America couldn't get through the day without employing several dozen double standards.

[Warren DeMontague]

2. I'm sorry, but I have to believe that my tax dollars have better stuff to do

than lock someone up for 2 decades for flying smokes into a prison with an RC helicopter.

[RiffRandell]

3. Yeah, it wasn't even weed, ffs.

The whole thing is ridiculous, except for the creativity.

[Major Nikon]

4. I'm not sure they will ever be able to convict

The FAA has jurisdiction over the skies, not local police.

[pipoman]

5. Smuggling contraband into a prison has

no relationship to air space. They will be charged, and most likely convicted.

[RiffRandell]

6. And sentenced to jail. nt

[Major Nikon]

7. The FAA regulates airspace

And now they have also taken to regulating drones (although this may only apply above a certain altitude so I'm not sure). The FAA does allow you to drop things by air under certain conditions. In only certain instances does the FAA relinquish control to local authorities.

[pipoman]

9. This has nothing to do with the FAA

nobody is charging them with anything relating to air space, they will be charged with smuggling contraband into a prison...a very serious offense in most states and at the federal level..

"The foursome faces up to 20 years in prison for crossing prison lines with contraband"

[Major Nikon]

10. Think jurisdiction

I'm quite sure the FAA retains jurisdiction in the air, but they do relinquish it under certain circumstances which are spelled out specifically. I'm not sure if this fits or not. Drones are a relatively new thing and federal law may not have caught up yet.

[pipoman]

11. They aren't being charged with anything relating to air space

it doesn't matter the delivery, if you smuggle or attempt to smuggle contraband into a prison you will be in serious trouble. You may be right if they were charged with unlawful use of air space or some such, they aren't. The FAA will have no involvement what so ever in this case. This is no different than throwing, launching, or carrying contraband into a prison. They could have been across the street with a potato cannon, same result. You can fly drones (aka hobby radio aircraft) most places..if you fly it into moving traffic or into someone's home or head you have likely violated the law and once again, the FAA has nothing to do with it.

Jurisdiction over prisons are with the State Attorney General in most states, and the Justice Department/Federal Bureau of Prisons/US Marshall's Service if this were a federal facility..

[Major Nikon]

12. You are looking at it wrong

Arizona can't charge you with a crime committed in New Mexico. Local authorities do NOT retain jurisdiction over their airspace unless the federal government specifically relinquishes it. This prevents states and local authorities from passing their own laws to regulate aircraft. I can fly over your house all night long and nobody can charge me with disturbing the peace, nor can any local jurisdiction pass a law making it illegal. As I said, this particular type of thing may be already specifically exempted. If not the defendant could very much muddy up the legal waters.

[pipoman]

14. No, you are hung up on the delivery

flying the plane wasn't illegal..delivering contraband into a prison is illegal no matter how you accomplish it. There will be no mud based on air space..even though the air space is likely controlled by the prison to a point..this has no more to do with the FAA than throwing a ball does.

This has nothing to do with interstate crime, and this has nothing to do with air space. It has to do with smuggling contraband into a prison from across the street. I have worked extensively with my state's prison system and the federal Bureau of Prisons. There is no ambiguity about smuggling contraband into a prison...mailing it, carrying it, baking it into a cake, launching it in, or dropping it from a model aircraft...the method is irrelevant, the criminal intent of smuggling is relevant.

[bemildred]

13. An idea whose time has come.

Drones will prove to have many many uses.

Edit: dropping all sorts of things in all sorts of places, surveillance, perhaps the removal of all sorts of things from all sorts of places.