Joseph H. Johnson, 56, of Salem, was released after his first appearance in federal court Monday afternoon, promising he would appear for further court proceedings.
Johnson is accused of the criminal act of interfering with the performance and duties of a flight crew member or attendant which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
He was arrested Jan. 6 after handing a joking note to a flight attendant.
[…]
According to notes from interviews by federal agents, Johnson’s travel companion insisted his notes on the airline comment card were meant to be a joke. The Justice Department included a copy of the card in those documents.
On the card in a feedback section, Johnson wrote, “I thought I was going to die, we were so high up, I thought to myself: I hope we don’t crash and burn or worse yet landing in the ocean…”
He also mentioned the television series “Gilligan’s Island” writing “… and what if the plane ripped apart in mid-flight and we plumited to earth, landed on Gilligans Island and then lived through it, and the only woman there was Mrs. Thurston Howell III? No Mary Anne (my favorite), no Ginger, just lovely!”
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Come on~ If this man from Salem wrote what is being said that he wrote down with no threats why in the heck is this man being treated as if he had written a note and passed it on like someone whom had walked into a bank and handed the teller a money demand and said give me the money or else you die.
No, It’s no game or laughing matter regarding any terrorism threat or actions by anyone indicating a person is capable of caring out a threat if it be aboard a plane or otherwise but, where in his written words did he write a threat?
Stupid isn’t terrorism it’s just that…..stupid!
Ok, I’m all about the airlines taking passenger safety seriously. But, c’mon! They arrest this guy and try him in federal court for making a joke about Gilligan’s island BUT let 12 islamic extremists who refused to listen to the flight attendants just walk away!!!
Its too bad for this guy that he wasn’t of islamic descent – if he was he could have just walked away. Don’t want to be accused of racial profiling!!!
Agggh!
Really?! A bit backwards … ARREST the 12 Extremists and let the ‘joker’ go with a warning. And, remediate the flight attendant. Racial/Religious profiling IS necessary because that’s what one of our Country’s enemies looks like and that is the religion our Enemy practices to extreme … too friggin bad!!!!! Even animals do profiling in nature to survive!
I understand flight crews are on edge. I can understand that the note would look strange, especially with the passenger not looking like he was simply afraid of flying.
I guess I don’t blame the flight crew for raising a red flag on this, however the guy should have never been charged.
I see no threat in the note. I don’t see any comments about bombs.
What the guy did was unwise, but not recklessly negligent. I don’t see the crime. I don’t see how he interfered with the flight crew.
The flight crew had to make a judgement call. In hindsight, they overreacted, but some overreaction is understandable. It is better to be safe than sorry.
Charging this guy with interfering with the flight crew however is unreasonable.