JetBlue Pilot Plans Insanity Defense

[DieselDragRacer]

AMARILLO, Texas—A JetBlue Airways captain accused of disrupting a flight when he left the cockpit screaming about religion and terrorists plans to use an insanity defense at trial.


An attorney for Clayton F. Osbon filed a motion Wednesday outlining plans to argue Mr. Osbon was insane at the time of the incident on the March 27 flight from New York to Las Vegas.



Mr. Osbon remains jailed in Texas awaiting a court-ordered psychiatric exam to determine his competency for trial and whether he was legally sane when witnesses say he left the cockpit and ran screaming through the cabin.


Passengers wrestled him to the floor, and he was subdued until the plane made an emergency landing in Amarillo.


Prosecutor Christy Drake declined to comment on the filing.

 

[coogebeachhotel]

and the other option would have been?

 

[Blue Dude]

Is there some discretion here on the part of the prosecution? Couldn't he just show evidence that for whatever reason he wasn't in his right mind and therefore a Federal trial isn't warranted? I'm not sure what the point is of spending lots of taxpayer dollars on this.

 

[shroomwell]

I don't understand why he can't be granted bail. That is BS.

 

[bubbers44]

Pleading insanity so he could be let out on bail??????????

 

[Blue Dude]

Pleading insanity so he could be let out on bail??????????

One doesn't preclude the other. If a temporary medical condition caused the incident it would warrant both being released on bail under supervision and avoiding a stint in Federal prison. I'm still not convinced that throwing the book at him is appropriate.

 

[Baze]

and the other option would have been?

The Chewbacca Defense!

 

["TheBigPicture"]

I don't understand why he can't be granted bail. That is BS.

Because he's a flight risk!:nuts::nuts:

 

[crxpilot]

We are not the enemy, but that is how the government wants to treat us now. This poor guy needs mental help, not an incrimination. Even Zimmerman got away with "potential" murder for what over a month before Al Sharpton got him thrown in jail!

 

[bubbers44]

I hope he gets the help he needs. I didn't mean throw him under the bus but he caused a huge disturbance interfering with crew members. You can't let him out on bail unless you can be sure he won't do it again. Do we have any proof of that? A pilot can not expect special treatment other citizens must obey. We as pilots are human and it is possible to have a mental breakdown as he did but we are not special and should be treated as anyone else that went out of control. Let him get treated for his mental breakdown before letting him back if he still has a problem.