'Balloon Boy' Parents Get Jail Time, 4 Years Probation

The judge prohibited Richard Heene from receiving any form of financial benefit, whether through the media, a book, or articles he might write steming from the balloon hoax. The judge also required him to turn over quarterly bank statements to make sure he's not making money off this incident.
Richard Heene will serve the first 30 days of his sentence in jail and then the last 60 days he will spend weekends and nights in jail so that he will be able to work during the day. He will begin serving his jail time on January 11.
The judge sentenced 'Balloon Boy' mother Mayumi Heene to 20 days in jail and four years probation. She must start her jail time no later than May 11, and has to wait until Richard Heened has completed his jail time.
Richard Heene choked back tears as he said he was sorry in court, especially to the rescue workers who chased down false reports that his 6-year-old son had floated away in a balloon.
Prosecutors are still seeking to recover the costs of the search and investigation which they say could exceed $50,000.
The Heenes made frantic calls to 911, the news media and the Federal Aviation Administration to report that their 6-year-old son may have been aboard a runaway balloon. That triggered a desperate 50-mile (80-kilometer) chase as the craft drifted across northern Colorado's plains — and then another desperate search once the balloon landed and the boy was nowhere to be found.
In his letter to the judge, Heffernan described his pain at having to tell the Heenes that their boy was not inside the balloon when it landed in a field.
"I wish I could make you realize the anguish I had when I went into that room," Heffernan said. "To have the Heenes start the grieving process with me trying to comfort them and give them some hope. Then to find out later they were just acting."
He added, "Yeah, it's personal, but I ask you to seek some justice for me and others by ensuring the Heenes' sentence ... reflects this personal anguish the Heenes caused to so many people worldwide."
Lane said he will ask that Richard Heene be spared any jail time.
"Orson Welles didn't go to jail for convincing the world that it was being invaded by Martians, with people panicking and committing suicide," Lane said, referring to Welles' 1938 radio broadcast "War of the Worlds."
"Not everything that happens that's bad in the world requires somebody to go to jail," Lane insisted.
Mayumi Heene's attorney, Lee Christian, did not return phone calls Tuesday.
The Heenes also face possible restitution for search and rescue costs. It wasn't immediately known if District Judge Stephen Schapanski would take up the issue at Wednesday's hearing.
The Larimer County District Attorney's Office estimates total costs at $46,000, according to Lane.
That figure includes $8,000 in sheriff's department overtime. Another $13,500 was spent by law enforcement agencies from the nearby communities of Greeley and Weld County, along with Colorado State University and the U.S. Forest Service, Lane quoted the district attorney as saying. Two National Guard helicopters launched to track the craft cost about $16,000.
Also included are $8,500 in damages to the field where the craft landed.
Lane said he'll demand proof of all damages or extra costs.
The FAA has also informed the Heenes that they may be subject to an $11,000 fine for launching an unauthorized aircraft. The balloon flight forced some commercial aircraft to switch to a different runway at Denver International Airport.
On Monday, sheriff's officials announced that the Heenes acted alone and that their stunt did not include media outlets, as Sheriff Jim Alderden had speculated in October.
Several neighbors of the Heenes said the couple should be punished.
"First thing he should get, he should get a chance to publicly apologize to the nation and let them know that he is really remorseful for what he did because a lot of people were crying and very emotional with this whole saga," said Dean Askew, a friend of Richard Heene who was interviewed during the investigation. "The next thing he should get to do is his time."
Kenneth Seifert, who lives three doors down from the Heenes, said Richard Heene should pay restitution.
"And if he wants to go out and have his reality show, so let him do it," Seifert said

Questions to think about:
1) Do you think this was an appropriate sentence given to each parent?
2) Does the judge have the legal authority to restrict the Heene's from making money off potential media deals?