Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Court May Make Example of Ex-Pilots

Aired August 05, 2002 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A judge in Miami lays down the law for two former pilots accused of getting behind the controls while drunk.
CNN's Mark Potter with more on what happened in court -- Mark.

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kyra, in their first public appearances in court since their arrest July 1, former America West pilots Thomas Cloyd and Christopher Hughes ran into a judge who let everybody know right away who was in charge. Now the pilots, through their attorneys, had asked for permission to return to their homes in Arizona and also to travel to Missouri and Texas while they await trial and are free on bond.

The prosecutor said he thought it was OK, but the judge, David Young, said he had some concerns about that. The pilots are charged with operating an aircraft while intoxicated. Noting the seriousness of those charges, the judge imposed some very serious travel restrictions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID YOUNG, CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE: What the court feels most comfortable with is having them stay in Miami pending trial, but since you have no problem with them going to Arizona, they can stay in Arizona, but they're are not flying around.

They are not going to go to Texas, and they are not going to go to Missouri. They're staying in Arizona, and they are calling in once a week from Arizona so they can -- we can verify that, in fact, they are where they should be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POTTER: Now, the judge also imposed some other restrictions. He said that they must attend, in person, every court hearing in Miami. They can't just send their lawyers. They have to check in once a week with the court. They must surrender their passports. The judge said he doesn't want them flying around, going out of the country, even in a "crop duster," to use his words, and they are not allowed to drink alcohol.

Now, we have been told by sources that since their arrest, the men have entered an alcohol rehabilitation program. They have both pleaded not guilty. A trial date was set today, it is October 21. If the men are convicted, they could face up to six years in prison. Now, the defense attorneys have said that somewhere down the road, they may consider trying to work out a plea deal, depending on what the prosecutors come up with. They have also said that once all of the criminal proceedings are finished, they will try to get the men's jobs back and to try to have their pilot's licenses reinstated -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So Mark, what's the feeling there? Are people feeling that these two may be the ones made an example of?

POTTER: Oh, I think that is pretty clear. This judge is very serious. He said that these are serious charges. If the pilots had any doubt about that coming into court, I don't think they have that now having left, and I suspect that in this atmosphere, that's very likely what you just alluded to. Some people in the aviation industry have said that this is a very tough time for aviation in general, given what happened September 11 in terms of getting people to come back onto airplanes and now this. So I wouldn't be surprised to see serious treatment toward these men being imposed by this court.

PHILLIPS: Mark Potter, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com