Part 53, page 277

Transcript

The scan is the source; the transcript is machine-generated from it.

(Mount Clipping in Space Below)

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Not long enough

Statutes of limitation are meant to safeguard persons from prosecution for alleged crimes after so much time has elapsed that it would be unreasonably difficult for them to prove their innocence.

The purpose of such statutes is good. Time scatters witnesses. It tricks memories. It gives unfair advantage to law enforcement agencies with ponderous record files and tends to dilute evidence that accused individuals would want to muster in their defense.

However, some statutes of limitation are in need of revision. For example, consider:

Dan Cooper, if that's his real name, and if he's alive, needs only two years more before he'll be beyond reach of the law covering the Nov. 24, 1971, caper that gained him notoriety, $200,000 in small-bill ransom money, and two parachutes to use in his escape from the jet airliner he "skyjacked" over the Pacific Northwest. A federal statute of limitations will preclude his prosecution after the fifth anniversary of his threat to blow up the airliner and everyone aboard.

It's scant comfort to know that Cooper is the only person ever to skyjack a domestic airliner without ending up indisputably dead or in the custody of the law. Despite all that has been done to discourage skyjacking since Cooper hit his chute somewhere south of Seattle, ransom bag in hand, his apparent clean getaway could still inspire some warped-minded imitators.

If the statute of limitation pertaining to fraudulent attempts to cheat on income taxes can be open-ended, surely that dealing with bomb-packing skyjackers should run longer than five years.

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(Indicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.)

14A Eugene Register- Guard Eugene, Oregon

__ Editorial

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Date: 12/4/74 Edition: Author: Editor: Title: NORJAK

Character: or Classification: Submitting Office: Portland

☐ Being Investigated

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DB Cooper-22615