PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - American Airport Security A Laughing Stock!
Old 8th Aug 2002, 12:04
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newswatcher
 
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Post ...and her sentence?

From Ananova:

"A British hairdresser whose sprint to catch a flight caused the shutdown of Philadelphia International Airport has been convicted of a misdemeanour trespass charge.

Sarah Johnson plans to appeal against her conviction by a municipal court judge who suspended a possible one-year prison sentence but fined her £325 plus court costs.

The security breach and resulting 90-minute shutdown in February cost the airport an estimated £500,000, her lawyer John Elbert said.

"This is why the whole prosecution came about," Mr Elbert said in court. He plans to appeal against the conviction before Johnson flies home on Sunday.

Johnson, who had flown from Gatwick airport on February 22, was running late after clearing customs and immigration for a connecting US Airways flight to Puerto Rico, where she planned to work on a cruise ship.

Johnson, who said she did no wrong, told the court that several officials along the way to the gate gave her directions. At one point she said she encountered a ticket agent who allowed her to go around the metal detector.

The ticket agent later testified that she did not say Johnson could go around the metal detector and said she tried to call her back.

During the shutdown, passengers were taken off planes and sent through security a second time; search dogs were sent aboard planes to sniff for explosives; 1,800 to 2,000 passengers were evacuated and flights in and out of the airport were halted.

Johnson said she hoped her faith in the American justice system would be restored.

"I've not much faith in it so far but I hope that will change when I file my appeal," she said."
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