WASHINGTON (AP) — A man who flew a gyrocopter through some of America’s most restricted airspace before landing at the U.S. Capitol says he’s rejected a plea offer in the case that would have involved several years in prison.
Douglas Hughes attended a status hearing Monday in federal court in Washington. He said in a telephone interview before the hearing that he had rejected an offer that included significant jail time because it didn’t seem just for an act of civil disobedience in which no one got hurt. Hughes has said his April 15 flight in the bare-bones aircraft was intended to call attention to the influence of big money in politics.
Hughes says it’s now more likely that his case will go to trial. Another hearing is set for July 22.
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