A Manhattan judge blasted a crew of BASE jumpers who parachuted off the new 1 World Trade Center tower last year for their “reckless” and “unsafe” behavior that potentially endangered the lives of others.
“Defendants thrill-seeking conduct is nothing more than inexcusable self-indulgence,” wrote Justice Charles Solomon in his decision denying the defense’s motion to dismiss the case. “They were completely aware their actions were unlawful and chose to disregard the law, clearly putting their own interests above those of society.”
He continued, “A dismissal would have no effect on curbing defendants’ future behavior and might even encourage others to try to replicate what these defendants did.”
Daredevils James Brady, Marko Markovich and Andrew Rossig are heading to trial January 15.
They face felony burglary raps for sneaking through a hole in a fence at 1 World Trade Center and plunging from the top of the 1,776-foot-tall tower Sept 30 , 2013 in the early morning hours. Their lookout Kyle Hartwell was also charged.
Solomon wrote that the defendants exhibited “a callous disregard for the safety of the community” and took offense to their claim they did a service to New York by exposing security lapses at the World Trade Center.
He also rejected the defendants’ attempts to minimize the risk their actions posed to others, pointing out that Brady’s parachute became tangled in a traffic light when he landed on the West Side Highway.
But Brady insists his parachute merely brushed passed the stoplight.
The judge also cites entries in Rossig’s diary that describe his other jumps and their dangers.
“Defendant Rossig’s BASE jumping diary is replete with mishaps during his jumps, including landing in trees, hitting power and cable lines, landing in water, and hits or near misses with various objects,” Solomon writes. “Rossig’s diary also references the impact of his behavior. In one instance he writes, “laughing china woman in shock” and in another “swooped the power lines. Scared the innocents.”’
Rossig’s attorney Tim Parlatore disagreed with Solomon’s characterization.
“There’s nothing in here to indicate that anyone was ever in danger, maybe some bystanders were surprised. If the only thing he’s endangering is himself where’s the crime in that?” he asked.
“We expect when a jury hears both sides of the story not just one side that they will see this was not the reckless act that the judge thought it was.”
The adrenaline junkies were busted Feb. 17 , after cops tracked the foursome down through surveillance video that captured the extraordinary leap and their getaway car.
After the DA began its investigation, the daredevils posted the helmet cam video memorializing the feat on YouTube.
The four defendants face raps for burglary, reckless endangerment and BASE jumping.
