Man Accused of Aiming Laser at Trump Helicopter Acquitted in 35 Minutes

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

A man tried on a felony charge of aiming a laser at presidential helicopter Marine One while it was transporting Donald Trump was acquitted recently by a jury in Washington DC ...

Posted by Reinheitsgebot at 04:33 PM | 35 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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A Washington man who was accused of aiming a laser pointer at Marine One, the presidential helicopter, as it was leaving the White House in September with President Trump aboard, was acquitted on Tuesday, according to court documents. nyti.ms/4a7hlQT

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-- The New York Times (@nytimes.com) Jan 19, 2026 at 11:05 AM

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#1 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-01-21 06:39 AM | Reply

We all know where this is going. At some point, a frustrated Trump/MAGA will question why we need juries.

#2 | Posted by Zed at 2026-01-21 08:12 AM | Reply

At some point, a frustrated Trump/MAGA will question why we need juries.

Yup.

#3 | Posted by jpw at 2026-01-21 11:25 AM | Reply

Trump/MAGA will question why we need juries.

They could try appointing qualified prosecutors. But then all the qualified prosecutors wouldn't take on cases they couldn't win just to preserve Trump's fragile ego, so they all got qualifired.

#4 | Posted by horstngraben at 2026-01-21 04:46 PM | Reply

35 minutes? Jeanine Pirro can drink a box of wine in 32 minutes, so that proves something ...

#5 | Posted by catdog at 2026-01-21 04:47 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

So-called AUSA Lindsey Robyn Michelle Halligan, a comely young lass, was shown the door by federal judges (and possibly with prejudice, to boot).

Running a police state with incompetent prosecutors shows how amateurish, yet dangerous, our fascist-led country has become.

#6 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-01-21 04:53 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Pirro is incompetent. And drunk.

#7 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-01-21 05:02 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Me too! Kampei!

#8 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-01-21 05:41 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

" Pirro is incompetent. And drunk."

They say you can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich.

Clearly, the grand jury draws the line when it's baloney.

#9 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-01-21 06:28 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

"Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty."

Hannah Arendt

#10 | Posted by SomebodyElse at 2026-01-21 06:34 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

All it takes is one Democrat with TDS. Never mind the potential damage to the pilot's eyes or collateral damage from a crash. The man confessed and there was a witness.

#11 | Posted by visitor_ at 2026-01-21 07:12 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

#12 Trump Devoted Sycophant

#12 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-21 07:29 PM | Reply

#11 It isn't Democrats that are Trump Devoted Sycophants.

That would be your ilk.

You're welcome.

#13 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-21 07:32 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 3

#11 I was just informed that they think you mean Trump Derangement Syndrome.

I think we're all in 100% agreement that Trump is deranged.

Good call.

#14 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-21 07:46 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Trump Dementia - Syphilis (?)

#15 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-01-21 08:46 PM | Reply

#15 That works, Legally. :-)

#16 | Posted by A_Friend at 2026-01-21 08:48 PM | Reply

Wonder what the tax payer tab for this horse manure was...

#17 | Posted by Angrydad at 2026-01-21 08:59 PM | Reply

#17 Wonder what the tax payer tab for this horse manure was...

Now that Democrats know they can attempt blind pilots and face no consequence it might be pretty high. How much are a pilot's eyes worth, or what's the cost of a plane crash?

At least the Democrat jury was able to send a message that Trump's life doesn't matter.

#18 | Posted by visitor_ at 2026-01-21 09:14 PM | Reply

a homeless man with nothing but a cat toy keychain

If that deadly combo can bring down Marine One there are bigger issues to contend with.

www.amazon.ca

#19 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-01-21 09:26 PM | Reply

Let me shine that into your eyes while you try to fly a helicopter. There's a reason it's illegal.

#20 | Posted by visitor_ at 2026-01-21 09:35 PM | Reply

Pirro is so ------ at her job she can't even get this slam dunk.

#21 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-01-21 09:39 PM | Reply

Yeah I agree with #21. How do you not get this conviction?

Donald Trump must enjoy fingering her or something, there's no merit based explanation for why she has the job.

#22 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-21 09:41 PM | Reply

Now that law doesn't matter these are ones that Soros will hand out at the next antifa meeting: biglasers.com

#23 | Posted by visitor_ at 2026-01-21 09:42 PM | Reply

LOL SOROS!

*drink*

Pirro is just a moron, dude. Soros has nothing to do with it.

#24 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-01-21 09:44 PM | Reply

"Now that law doesn't matter"

You mean ICE detaining people without any probable cause?

#25 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-21 09:48 PM | Reply

Pirro, like Hegseth, was a fox news bobblehead.

#26 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-01-21 09:49 PM | Reply

getting a paycheck is probable cause.

#27 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2026-01-21 09:50 PM | Reply

Let me shine that into your eyes while you try to fly a helicopter.

Zero chance I would even notice it.

#28 | Posted by REDIAL at 2026-01-21 09:54 PM | Reply

Let me shine that into your eyes while you try to fly a helicopter.

That's your speculation unsupported by the probable cause affidavit. The affidavit does not say where it was pointed. The closest it comes is the helicopter "... flew at a relatively low height and directly above Officer Santiago and D1's location ... ."

A reasonable inference is that it was pointed at the bottom of the helicopter. As a lawyer, that's what I would argue. It's likely the jury thought the same thing. No harm no foul.

There's a reason it's illegal.

Agreed. Including this prosecution though I think it's thin. The difference between us is that I, not having a dog in the hunt, applaud the system. You on the other hand deride the system, "... all it takes is one Democrat ... ," because it did not provide your preferred result.

#29 | Posted by et_al at 2026-01-21 11:08 PM | Reply

This is the law. www.law.cornell.edu It doesn't have an inference exemption.

#30 | Posted by visitor_ at 2026-01-22 01:32 AM | Reply

Visitor_

You seem to be doing a better job of making the case than Trump's hand-picked attorney.

Doesn't that make you question, like, all of the reasons you think Trump is a good leader?

#31 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-01-22 01:44 AM | Reply

What a glorious time to be a Public Defender in Washington DC. Acquittal Central since the MAGAts took over.

#32 | Posted by moder8 at 2026-01-22 01:45 AM | Reply

What a glorious time to be a Public Defender in Washington DC. Acquittal Central since the MAGAts took over.

#32 | Posted by moder8 at 2026-01-22 01:45 AM | Reply | Flag

Public defenders (like NYS AG Letitia James when she started her career) were the hardest working attorneys I ever came across.

If a defendant was facing capital charges, better to have one of them as defense counsel than a slick $1,000 per hour shyster.

The Legal Aid Society lawyers would go up the gallows with their clients.

#33 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-01-22 02:37 AM | Reply

Public defenders (like NYS AG Letitia James when she started her career) were the hardest working attorneys I ever came across.
If a defendant was facing capital charges, better to have one of them as defense counsel than a slick $1,000 per hour shyster.
The Legal Aid Society lawyers would go up the gallows with their clients.

#33 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS

The problem is they don't have the resources or time to properly defend these cases.

And some are better than others.

The real issue is that you can't get a public defender if you literally have any amount of money.

#34 | Posted by Sycophant at 2026-01-22 02:50 AM | Reply

Good point about the public defenders and scarce resources.

In EDNY, if drug mules from Colombia were caught on the same flight landing at JFK or a gang of low-income robbers were arrested, only one of them could get assigned a federal public defender. The Court Clerk would then assign a contracted defense counsel for the rest of the culprits in the gang.

One of these contracted attorneys made a small fortune for himself doing this. But this lawyer was cheap and sloppy. He would use the same documents to defend each of his clients "cookie-cutter style" but he would forget to "cut and paste" the correct names at times. I would read Document A from him about client A, but the name for Client C would appear somewhere in the paperwork.

This type of sloppy defense is not in the best interest of the defendant and everybody saw it.

#35 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-01-22 03:44 AM | Reply