zlacker

>>tafda+(OP)
Curiously, the charge he pled guilty to as part of the plea deal has nothing to do with planes. He pled guilty to obstructing a federal investigation (of the crash). Makes sense. Proving his intent w.r.t. the crash back then would be harder than proving that he DID remove the wreck and subsequently destroyed it.

>>dmitry+63
I dunno. I believe the guy is guilty and should be punished for recklessness, etc. but I don’t like it when authorities rely on indirect charges to “get” someone.

Prove the original crime, don’t rely and peripheral procedure like “they lied to a federal agent” (uhh) cop-out. Do your job.

Likewise I’m not don’t of people getting off on “technicalities” (Some more than others)

>>mc32+04
> Prove the original crime

The evidence of which was destroyed?

>>sgjohn+j4
Do you need prove a crime was committed in the first place? Or can the government accuse me of being a drug dealer but I disposed of the evidence when I took out the trash last week so I obstructed their investigation.

>>adrr+O7
Did you read the article? He destroyed the remains of the plane AFTER the FAA explicitly told him to not even touch it.

Sure, no evidence, no crime, but in this case there was evidence that the feds knew about. If you destroy the evidence before the cops know it exists, fair game. But this wasn't it.

As usual, the coverup is worse than the crime. Especially for the guy getting railroaded.

>>sgjohn+Kg
Destroying property should not exceed the punishment for the original crime, unless there was some insurance fraud or other aspect to the case.

>>mc32+8h
Why not? The original crime was stupidity. Destroying the evidence is outright malice.

>>sgjohn+oh
It doesn’t make sense.

Crime A is $2500 fine or 2 mos in the slammer, let’s say.

The evidence that would convict me is worth a grand. I destroy it.

The penalty for destroying this evidence should not exceed the original crime or value of the property I destroyed in any rational way.

>>mc32+5i
Definitely disagree here. In the system you’re proposing it’s a no-brainer to tamper with evidence: you won’t end up worse than you are and might even get out of it entirely! You’re basically incentivizing criminals to tamper with evidence—you clearly didn’t think this through.