Man Acquitted of Shining a Laser at Marine One With Trump Aboard

[AZJonnie]

8. Did he have his cat there and accidentally aimed at the helicopter when playing with his cat?

Otherwise:

In the U.S. it is explicitly illegal to aim any laser pointer at an aircraft or its flight path, regardless of whether it’s a cheap pet laser or a high‑powered pointer.

Federal law
The relevant statute is 18 U.S.C. § 39A – “Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.”

It makes it a federal offense if someone “knowingly aims the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, or at the flight path of such an aircraft.”

The law’s definition of “laser pointer” is broad and covers any device used as a pointer or highlighter, not just powerful green pointers.
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Penalties:
Up to 5 years in federal prison and fines under the criminal code (often quoted as up to $250,000).

The FAA can also impose civil penalties up to $11,000 per violation and over $30,000 for multiple incidents.

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I don't have a NYT subscription but I'd suppose the reason the jury let the guy walk is that they weren't convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that he did so intentionally