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### ' : ::R^RTMEN TO F ""^'•NSPORT/VnO N

. "-f;: ^ i GPER/VTION S UNITE D STATE S O F AMERIC A•; > E'i B A^ : 0 8 DEPARTMEN TO F TRANSPORTATIO N OFFIC E O F HEARING S WASHINGTON , D.C .

*-rr**rr^»^»»imiithkkmkf.xt.lkkkkii-lixt.miLk1f»**1 c I n th e Matte ro f • FA ADocke t No. : CP10WP000 9 SAMUE L JOSEP H LATHA M

Respondent . * FA ARegion : Western-Par:ifl c Judge : Honorabl e Richar d 0 . GoodMrJ n DM S No . FAA-2010-062 4 * + ****-Mnrnm***±**tittii*^**-Hrt**^**ini*****Mtr****** * COMPLAINANT' S OrPOSITIO N T O RESPONDENT' S "MOTIO N T O I^ISNAS S

O N TH EGROUNfD S O FMENTA LDEFECT " To : Th e Honorabl e Richar dC . Goodwi n an dt o Responden t actin g i n pr o perht:^m : COME S NOW , th e Regiona l Counse l o f th e Western-Pacifi c Regio n o f th e Federa l Aviatio n Adirinisaatio n (FAA) , b y an dthroug hhe r counsel , andfile s thi s Oppositio n t o Respondent' s "Motio n t o Dismis s o n th e Gxotmd s o f Mental D e "ret " tha t h e filedo n Augus t

20 , 2010 . Thi s oppositio n i s base do n th e fact that Res f indent' s state dreaso n fo

r filing hi s motio n i s withou t lega l precedence . Thi s oppositio n i s timel y filedunde r th e provision s o f

1 4 C.F.R . § 13.218(d ) whic hstate s that

apart y ma y file a

n answer t o amotio n not

late r than 1 0 diiy s afte

r servic e o f

awritte n motio n fi:omth e opposin g party . 1 4 C.F.R . § I3.218(c , Here , Responden t

filedhi s motio n o n Augus t 20 , 2010 , whic hwa s receive db y Complainan t o n Augus t 30 , 2010 . (Se e tru e cop y o f (^velop e wit hcertifie dmai l receipt , alon g -xrit h uacJdn g infonnatio n downloade dfix>musps-com , attache dheret o a s E>diib i "A. " )09/10/201 0 16:5 2 FA X 202493514 2 FA A^ DM S 0003/00 8 09/07/201 0 13:5 5 FA I 310725681 6 AWP- 7 81003/00 8

Under th e Rule s o f

Practice . Complajinant' s oppositio n i s du e no t late r than Se f lembe r 7 , 2010. ^ (Th e oppositio n wa s du e o n Septembe r 5 , 201 0 (whic hinclude s five d:3y s adde d b y 1 4 C-F.R . § 211(e)) . Sinc e Septembe r 5 , 201 0 fell o n aSaturday however , i t becam e du e o n th e nex t

day whic hwa s no t

aSaturday , Sunday , o r

lega l holiday , Septembe r 6 , 2010 , aMonday , wa s Labo r Day . FACT S Th e fact s i n thi s cas e are neithe r nove l o r unique . Investigatio n indicat;; s that o n Decembe r

5 , 2009 , Respondent , whil e apassenge r aboardaHorizo n Airlin:;s' ' flight betwee n Medford , Orego n an dLo s Angeles , California , ran ou t of th e lavatory i:ike dan d pushe don e crewmembe r onc e an dwliil e stil l naked , pushe danothe r crewmeml)er

r^'ice . After th e aircraf

t lande dan dwhil e stil l naked . Responden t bi t apassenge r

^vh o wa s attemptin g t o sto p Responden t fromgoin g int o th e flight deck . Despit e th e fact

tha t Responden t

ha s not fileda n answe r t o th e coin plaint , i t appear s that

h e i s no t

disputin g th e facts , but i s claimin g menta l defec t t o jjstif y hi s actions. ^ A s aresul t

o f Respondent' s beha-vior

o n boardHorizo n Airline s o n Decembe r 5 , 2009 , th e FA A propose dacivi l penalt y i n th e amoun t o f $27,500.0 0 for

vjclatin g 1 4 C.F.R . § 121.58 0 an dTitl e 4 9 U.S.C . § 46313. ^ ARGUMEN T Respondent' s positio n i s essentially , that sinc e h e wa s foun dt o b e incnmpiten t du e to psychosis , an dals o becaus e n o crimina l charge s wer e filedagainsi : lii mi n connectio n withthi s incident , th e matte r shoul db e dismisse di n it s entire:;/ . (Se e

^ Fo i servic e b y mail , five day s shal l b e adde dt o Th e prescnTjedperiod . 1 4 C.F.R . § ti.211(e) . l^loreover , where , a s here , i f

th e las t da y o f th e tim e peric>

di nwhic ht o file arespons e i s alegal holida', . th e tim e perio drun s unti l Th

e en do f th e nex t day tibat i s no t aSaturday , Sunday , o r

legal hohday . ] i C.F.R . § 13.218rd } 1 4 C.F.R . § 13.212(e) . ^ Respondent' s failure l o fil e a n answe r i s th e subjec t

o f Complainant' s Motio n l o Dee m.WlegJition s Admitte dan dt o Issu e Orde r Assessin g Civi l Penalty whic hwa s filedo n Augus t 27 , 2010 . ^ M C-F.R . § 121.58 0 state s that , "n o perso nirM, y assault , threaten , intimidate , o r inCcr f ^r c wit ha crewrnejubc r

i ath e performanc e o f

th e crerwuicmbcr' s dutie s aboar da n aircraf t bein g operate dimde

r thi s pan. " 4 9 C.F.R- § 4631 8 state s that '"anyonf c wh o physicall y assault s o r threaten s t o physical! , assaul t a membe r o f tb « flight cre w o r cabi n cre w of

o civi l aircraf

t o r any othe r individual o n th e aircraf

t i s habl e t o th e Unite dState s Governmen t for acivi l penalty. "09/10/201 0 ie:5 2 FA X 202493514 2 FA A ^ DM S ^004/00 8 08/07/201 0 13:5 5 FA X 310725681 6 AWP- 7 1^004/00 8

Respondent' s lette r

o f Augus t 20 . 2010 . pag e 1. ) However , Respondent' s i positio n i s withou t lega l precedent . I n regaj'd s t o hi s menta l defect , i n asimilar case , th e Administrativ e La w Judg e rule dthat ".. . th e mental stat e o f

th e Responden t

H th e tim e h e boarde dth e flight

i n questio n i s simpl y irrelevant . H e wa s no t privilege dl

o impose th e consequence s o f

hi s mental conditio n o n flight attendant s o r

fello w passeii.;»eri,. " I n th e Matte r

o f Joaqui n Rodriguez , 200 6 W L3623806 , Docke t No . CP(i5SO004 9 (Septembe r

8 , 2006) . I n amor e recent case , th e Administrativ e La w Judg e correctl y reasone dthat

th e FA A canno t

excus e passenge r

behavio r in violatio n o f

tl : c ; Federal Aviaito n Regulation s o n ground s tha t i t was th e resul t

o f th e passenger' s me

mfi l illness . I n th e Matte r

o f Eri c Salcido , 200 8 W L3485806 , Docke t No . CP08SO000:- ; (Augus t 2008) . In Salcido , th e Administrativ e Law Judg e als o foun dthat th e FA A i s catitle dt o enforc e it s regulation s eve n agains t thos e passengci s wh o suffer fromncniroti c o r psychoti c conditions . Id . Whil e i t i s certainl y regrettabl e that Responden t

suf f ::re dfrom amental psychosis , a

t leas t a t ih e tim e o f

thi." ; incident , suc hmental impairmen t ;.axino t b e th e caus e for

dismissing thi s case . T o grant hi s motio n woul dno t

onl y se t a:receden t whic hwoul dseverel y jeopardiz e th e safet y o f th e flying pubhc , i t

woul dseverel y limi t th e FAA' s authority t o institut e admimstrati\ e proceeding s t o recove r civi l pena:iie s from allege dviolator s o f

th e Federal Aviatio n Regulations . Moreover , Respondent' s relianc e o n th e Distric t Attorney' s failure to file criminal charge s agains t

hi mt o suppor

t tha t h e ha damenta l defect , i s misplaced . Tl", ; instan t cas e i s initiate db y th e FA A unde r it s independen t

statutory authority l o recrve r civi l penalties for

violation s o f

it s regulations . I t

i s therefore wholl y irrelevan t avi do f n o momen t whethe r aloca l distric t

attorne y choose s t o exercis e hi s o r he r proMScutoria

l discretio n i n filing ciimina l charge s agains t Respondent . Th e FA A ha s properl y exercise dit s prosecutoria l discretio n to brin g thi s cas e t o enforc e th e Federal Aviatio n Regulations .09/10/201 0 1G:5 2 FA X 202493514 2 FA A • > DM S 0005/00 8 U»/UY/2im ; la ; 5 5 hA l 310725651 6 AWP-7 IglOOS/OO S

I n vie w o f

th e above . Complainan t

move s that

Respondent' s motio n b e c <mie di n it s entirety . Respectfull y submitted , Naom i Tsud a Regiona l Counse l

Dated : Septembe r

7 , 201 009/10/201 0 16:5 2 FA X 202493514 2 FA A^ DM S @l00G/00 8 09/07/201 0 13:5 5 FA X 310725681 6 AWP- 7 ^006/00 8



# EXHIBI T "A "09/10/201 0 16:5 2 FA X 202493514 2 09/07/201 0 13:5 5 FA X 310725681 8 USP S - Trac k

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R«tu m Receip t , Status : Delivere d ' You rite m wa s delivere d e f 8:1 8 p m or ^ Augus t 30 , 201 0 i n LO S ANGELES , C A90009 , Detaile d Results : > Delivered , Aususs t ao , 2010,9:1 8 pm , LO S ANGELES , C AdOOO d • Notic e Left , Augus t 7S , 2010 , 6:0 3 am , LO S ANGELES , C A9000 9 • Am'ya l a t VnH , Augus t 29 . 2010 , 5:3 7 am , LO S ANQELES , C A9000 9 • Acceptance , Augus t 20 , 2010,4:2 6 pm , WILDOMAR . C A9269 S MutiBcath m Onian s i " ..-• ' . r , .,.„.. , ,. . ,,. . ....M,^.,. . Trac k & Confir m b yemai l Ge t curren t even t InfonmBtior i o rupdate s fo ryou rite m san t t o yo u o rother s b yemail . C^>' ) Traof c& Confin n Ente rLabet/Recaip t M jmU;r . 

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CERTIPICAT EO FSERVIC E I hereb y certif

y that o n thi s dat e I hav e faxe dandplace di n th e Unite dSivite s mail , postag e prepaid , th e execute dorigina l o f th e COMPLAINANT' S OPPOSIVIO N T O RESPONDENT' S "MOTIO N T O DISMIS S O N TH E GROUND S O FI lENTA L DEFECT" , addresse da s follows : Th e Honorabl e Richar dC . Goodwi n Administrativ e La w Judg e Offic e o f Hearings , M-2 0 U.S . Departmen t

o f Trasnportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Eas t BcuJding Groun dFloor , Roo mE l 2-32 0 Washingto n D C 2059 0 Facsimile : (202)366-753 6 Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenuse , S.W . Washingto n D C 2059 1 Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk , AGC-43 0 Wilbur Wrigh t Building

- Suit e 2 W00 0 Facsimile : (202 ) 493-514 2 I further certifie dthat

o n thi s date I hav e place din th e Unite dState s mai-.. , postag e prepaid , certifie dmail , return receip t retpested , acop y o f

th e above addresse dt o Samue l Josep hLatham . 3369 0 Ahnon dSt . Wildomar , C A 9259 5 Dated : SE

P0 7 201 0 JeffKamberg i Legal Technicia n Offic e o f th e Regiona l Comise l Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n Western-Pacifi c Regio n Hawthorne , Californi a