Judge Determined That Homeowner's Privacy Was Invaded

A judge in Kentucky has dismissed charges of wanton endangerment and criminal mischief filed against William Merideth, who shot down a UAV he said was flying low over his property earlier this year.

Merideth was arrested for firing his gun within city limits.

Merideth claimed that David Boggs flew his UAV low over his property in Hillview, a town south of Louisville, KY, on multiple occasions. He said Boggs was "spying" on his family, and said he has a right to protect his family and his property.

The judge agreed. "He had a right to shoot at this drone, and I'm gonna dismiss this charge," Judge Rebecca Ward said.

The ruling came despite information from the UAV's GPS tracking system that said it was flying much higher than Merideth claimed. Judge Ward said that because at least two witnesses testified that they could see the aircraft "below the tree line," it was an invasion of privacy.

Boggs said he will encourage the Commonwealth's Attorney's office to take the case to a grand jury.

Meanwhile, KY state representative Diane St. Onge has pre-filed a bill in the Kentucky Legislature for the 2016 session that would make a UAV operator guilty of harassment "when, with intent to intimidate, harass, annoy, or alarm another person, he or she:
(a) Operates a drone that hovers over or lands upon the real property of another; or
(b) Uses a drone to engage in a course of conduct or repeatedly commit acts which alarm or seriously annoy such other person and which serve no legitimate purpose.

"(2) Drone harassment is a violation for the first offense, a Class B misdemeanor for a second offense, and a Class A misdemeanor for a third or subsequent offense."

(Image from file. Not incident neighborhood)

FMI: Drone Harassment Bill