Astronaut Love Triangle Gone Bad

[KaiYeves]

"Space was her passion, obsession was her crime?"
What's she trying to pull, describing me on the cover of a tabloid-type trash book? ;-D

[NEOWatcher]

Wow... 2 years for an update...

She's being offered a plea deal today.

Plea deal offered in astronaut love triangle case

[Argos]

How much time will she serve case the deal is accepted?

[Buttercup]

Frankly I'm surprised it's taking this long.

[NEOWatcher]

Ex-astronaut accepts plea deal in love triangle case

...will avoid prison after pleading guilty to lesser charges, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Citing her lack of a criminal record and her service as an astronaut and in the Navy, Orange County Circuit Judge Marc Lubet sentenced Nowak to two days in the county jail.

Apparently, jail and prison are two different things.

Nowak pleaded guilty to burglary of conveyance, a third-degree felony, and a charge of misdemeanor battery

[Gillianren]

Apparently, jail and prison are two different things.

Yes, they are. Jail is, depending on your jurisdiction, a place for short-term sentences and holding pre-trial. I believe ninety days is the limit of jail time. I have a jail a few blocks away from my apartment; it is also substantially smaller than a prison.

[Jens]

They could have sentenced her to six months on the ISS. That's the highest security facility I could ever think of. Nobody has ever escaped without a reentry capsule.

[Celestial Mechanic]

They could have sentenced her to six months on the ISS. That's the highest security facility I could ever think of. Nobody has ever escaped without a reentry capsule.

But can it really be considered a "punishment" when there are people who have paid millions of $ to go there? And of course, as an astronaut, she might have gone there someday anyway!

[Jens]

But can it really be considered a "punishment" when there are people who have paid millions of $ to go there? And of course, as an astronaut, she might have gone there someday anyway!

Yes, it was just an attempt at absurdist humor. Though I'd point out that people also spend 600 dollars to spend a night in Alcatraz...

[mugaliens]

Apparently, jail and prison are two different things.

I think it's because she already spent two days in jail before she made bail. Those count. Thus, it's just a year probation.

There are a lot of things one must do on probation, unless one wants to spend the rest of one's probation in prison:

1. Make all meetings with one's probation officer

2. No possession of firearms

3. May be ordered to remain employed (could be difficult of the Navy decides to demote her before she retires via an "officer grade determination").

4. Abide by a curfew.

5. Live at a directed place.

6. Obey the orders of the probation officer.

7. Not leave the jurisdiction.

8. Wear an electronic tag.

9. Submit to random drug/alcohol tests.

10. Participate in drug/alcohol/psychological treatment.

11. Perform community service.

I do not know if military duty is considered an allowable absence for any of these. If not, it may result in the Navy determining she's unfit for duty. Alternatively, her probation may be able to be supervised by the military itself, as they perform many of the same accountability functions as a probation officer. Don't know that they'd want to do that, however, or even if it's legal for them to do so. I would imagine if they ordered her to serve aboard a ship for a year, that may suffice in the judge's mind.

[NEOWatcher]

We almost went a year not hearing about this. Well, ok maybe quite a few months.

Ex-Astronaut Lisa Nowak May be Dishonorably Discharged from Navy

Three admirals reviewed Nowak's case Thursday at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville and unanimously decided it would be best to give the 47-year-old captain a discharge of "other than honorable" and downgrade her current rank to commander.