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Groping and the stupid Feds

So recently a friend of mine had a yucky experience on an airplane. A man sitting behind her groped her during a flight. She freaked out, called over the flight attendant, and started yelling at the guy that he was a pervert. He started apologizing, and the flight attendant moved her.

She later learned that the flight crew was supposed to have called ahead and had the police meet the plane, because this constitutes sexual assault and he would have been arrested. As it happens, they didn't, and she had to have the airline call the police once they arrived and she deboarded the plane.

The police handed it over to the FBI, since it's federal if it happens in the air on a plane. The FBI turned it over to the local U.S. Attorney, who declined prosecution.

She is obviously outraged, as am I. Essentially it seems like the U.S. Attorney is condoning this man's behavior...basically saying that it's not illegal to grope strange women. My friend was very upset when it happened. She described to me that she had a very strong emotional response that she can't explain, a response which included shaking, crying and what she thinks might be shock.

So, she contacted a lawyer friend about how to make this guy face some sort of music for his actions. The lawyer friend told her that she can write a letter to any U.S. Attorney in the country (as they all have prosecutorial jurisdiction) and see if any of them will prosecute. She plans to write a letter to every U.S. Attorney on the flight path, and if that doesn't work to write to every one in the country. Her lawyer friend also told her that she could file a lawsuit against him.

The thing is, she doesn't really believe in suing people. She's told me that she thinks Americans are too quick to sue for money if they feel even a little, itty-bit wronged. So, she's leaning toward not wanting to sue. However, she has said that she refuses to let him get away with this with no repercussions whatsoever.

Any advice for her?

posted by Jen @ 1/27/2006 08:41:00 AM