Man Shoots Down Drone Peeping in Daughter's Room - Gets Arrested for it.
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Outside, no expectation of privacy, inside a home is private, outside, not so much. Now that being said, if that was my daughter I would not only shoot down the drone, but find the owner and beat him.
The police eventually arrived and Merideth was charged with first-degree
criminal mischief and first-degree wanton endangerment, both related to his
discharge of the firearm. The 47-year-old Merideth is confident that the charges
will be reduced or thrown out entirely once his trial date arrives.
Update 11:31am, Aug. 1: Following the original news
story, the drone pilot has come forward with what he claims is the flight data
of the trip that ended in disaster. Speaking with Kentucky's WDRB, the drone's operator,
David Boggs, has provided a video record of the drone's movements on the date of
the incident, appearing to show that the vehicle was over 200 feet in the air at
the time it was shot down. Boggs also claims that he was flying his drone in the
area to film a friend's home, and that his trip over Merideth's property had
nothing to do with his daughter being outside.
It's already been established by law that property owners do not own the airspace above their property beyond a quite shallow altitude. I'm pretty sure 200 feet is above that limit. And it's also pretty well established in most communities that discharging firearms within the city limits in other than authorized defense of life and limb is illegal.
There is likely a need for more regulation and legislation for drone operation, and that's being worked out, but I doubt the courts are going to permit shooting down drones willy-nilly.
The guy did what he had to do to protect his family …
If the "drone" had been a home-invading human predator, no jury would convict him …
So SCREW the machine and the people who were operating it …
Except it wasn't a "home-invading human predator," it was a camera, and there are already laws regarding privacy and cameras. If you saw someone training a telephoto lens on your daughter from atop a neighbor's roof, you would not be allowed to shoot him. If someone flew overhead in a Cessna and you saw him pointing a camera, you would not be allowed to shoot him. Privacy laws do not open up grounds for use of firearms.
Quote:
A person's home is her/his castle … It's common law ...
Castle Doctrine is not common law, it's state law...and not in all states.
Outside, no expectation of privacy, inside a home is private, outside, not so much. Now that being said, if that was my daughter I would not only shoot down the drone, but find the owner and beat him.
Deliberate invasion of privacy is illegal ("peeping tom," etc., and all that …) ...
Except it wasn't a "home-invading human predator," it was a camera, and there are already laws regarding privacy and cameras. If you saw someone training a telephoto lens on your daughter from atop a neighbor's roof, you would not be allowed to shoot him. If someone flew overhead in a Cessna and you saw him pointing a camera, you would not be allowed to shoot him. Privacy laws do not open up grounds for use of firearms.
Castle Doctrine is not common law, it's state law...and not in all states.
Yes … "A person's home is her/his castle" is enshrined in "common law" (as distinct from statute law) just about everywhere … It's even in the Bible …
And "sentencing guidelines" generally provide for an upward departure when/if a crime is committed in the presumed safety/security/privacy of one's home …
Somebody staring at and taking photos of your teenage bikini-clad daughter on a public beach is permitted, but a creep deliberately peering at her and taking photos over the backyard fence by any means, technical or not is a different question …
As to court room legalities, yes that is *dicey* but again if I were on the jury, I would vote to acquit the daughter defender … (Of course I happen to be the dad of three daughters and the grandpa of several granddaughters …)
" Would you shoot down a drone that appeared to be spying on your teenage daughter? "
First, I'd extend the leaf net and see if I couldn't grab it. That way, I could sell it on Craig's List.
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