Man who landed small aircraft at US Capitol rejects plea deal to serve 10 months jail time
WASHINGTON – A man who flew a gyrocopter through some of America’s most restricted airspace before landing at the U.S. Capitol has rejected a plea deal that would have required him to spend 10 months in jail.
A prosecutor and a lawyer for Douglas Hughes discussed the most recent offer Wednesday in federal court in Washington. Hughes’ attorney said he believes federal guidelines would call for a sentence of zero to six months jail.
Hughes says spending significant time in jail doesn’t seem just for an act of civil disobedience in which no one got hurt and no property was damaged.
Hughes says his April 15 flight in the bare-bones aircraft was intended to call attention to the influence of big money in politics. A next hearing was scheduled for Aug. 5.
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