A homeless man in Frederick, Maryland, caused near $12,000 in damages after stealing and crashing a single-engine airplane from a Maryland airport — and he'll pay just $40 in restitution.
Frederick County Circuit Judge G. Edward Dwyer Jr. expressed surprise at the small amount, asking "Only $40?" Prosecutors explained that insurance coverage for the plane theft and crash had already paid for all the damages, with exception of a $40 deductible. Apparently most of us have got the wrong insurance. Fifty-one-year-old Calvin C. Cox has served half of his nine-month sentence for the December 2009 plane theft and related crash.
Cox's lawyer said Cox stole the plane because he was homeless and cold. It is a bit unclear as to why the homeless man would have then flown the stolen plane, when his lawyer's Defense for the plane theft is because the man was cold.
In April, Cox was authorized for work release for so he could earn money to pay restitution to the stolen plane's owner, Mid Atlantic Soaring Associates Corp. At only $40, it's also a bit unclear as to how Cox was authorized for release in order to earn less than a day's wages. Our U.S. legal system strikes again.