Friday
4 Jan 2008
US Airways to Imams: Tell it to the Jury
By Annie Jacobsen in category Airport Security & Screening
Audrey Hudson reports in today's Washington Times that US Airways and Minneapolis airport officials want a jury trial in the civil rights lawsuit filed against them by six Muslim clerics removed from a flight for acting suspiciously.
This is a good move for aviation security. Settling this kind of egregious lawsuit for cash would further tie the hands of clear thinking flight crew who, when they see suspicious behavior by passengers, report it to law enforcement officers trained to asses the situation. The imams were questioned and let go.
"The airline and Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which oversees Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, are also claiming immunity for their employees named in the suit, citing a "John Doe" law passed by Congress last year that, among other things, protects people acting in an official capacity to prevent terrorist attacks."