Ballon boy Hoax parents go to Jail
@RAVENBLADE0842 (493)
United States
December 23, 2009 2:55pm CST
While I find this whole fiasco quite funny, I am a little annoyed at the lack of stiffer penalties for the parents her perpetrated a hoax a couple months back after they called and reported their son was trapped in a runaway balloon. The husband received a 90 day jail term, only 30 of which he will actually have to stay in jail for. The other 60 he will be allowed out during the day to persue his employment as a construction worker. The mother only received 20 days in jail, and neither of them will have to start there sentence until after the holidays. The only other penalty they received is some probation, and they will not be allowed to profit from their story in any way for 4 years. These people waisted the resources of countless emergency personnel who are out there to protect and serve the rest of us when there is a real emergency. So what do you think of the decision, Fair or Not? Should it have been more?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
23 Dec 09
well i certainly some punishment should be metered out to them but since it is such a unique case, i guess they didnt have anything to go by.
i also heard they have to pay a lot of money back too (which i heard they dont have too.)
hopefully this is a lesson to those who want to do something stupid to get their 5 minutes of fame.
@RAVENBLADE0842 (493)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Thanks for the response
As stated in previous comments you are right, they will have to pay 50-60 thousand in fines and penalties, but I think that should be far more as well. They will wait out the 4 years of probation, and then make several times their fines on some book or movie deal. That's what this was all about to begin with. They wanted to be contestants on a reality T.V. show, and there little stunt backfired.
@trios2009 (47)
• United States
23 Dec 09
It should have been more. Not only did they waste resources, time, and money, they prevented the emergency workers from going to a real emergency where people needed them. I also think they should be punished more because of what they are teaching their son. How is he going to grow up? They are irresponsible and stupid for what they did and deserve a punishment to suit the crime. And in 4 years they will be making money off of this and wil probably do it again because the penalty isn't teaching them anything.
@RAVENBLADE0842 (493)
• United States
23 Dec 09
Thanks for the response,
I agree with you on that one. While they are looking at 50-60 thousand in fines and penalties, they will wait it out, and make several time that amount on a book deal or something like it. I doubt however, they will try to pull off something this stupid again. Simply because the judge would throw the book at them a second time around.
@MrNiceGuy (4141)
• United States
24 Dec 09
Good. I hate people that seek attention like this. And to bring their children into it and make us all worry for no reason? The worst part was that we had to watch about it on TV for weeks and weeks afterward. I hope this guy never gets his chance, although some reality TV people are probably already approaching them.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
24 Dec 09
hi ravensblade oh yes it should have b een much more as they
did take away emergency resources that should have been employed
in real emergencies, they should both have at least one year in prison and have their son taken by relatives to raise that wou ld not perpetrate frauds like that again. he could grow up to be a r real little criminal at the rate his parents were going. If nothing else they should have had to reimburse the emergency people for the costs of all that.
@benny128 (3615)
•
24 Dec 09
I think that was a fair judgement though I eould of said 10 years for not profiting from their story as in 4 years they will make a fortune.
The jail sentences were fair as to be honest any longer and the child would of suffered from loosing his family and thats not right on the children it wasn't there fault.
