On Thursday I mentioned in passing that the story of the balloon boy would likely end up in court, but at the time everyone still thought that 6 year old Falcon Heene was in a basket suspended from the balloon. When the balloon landed and the boy was not aboard, we feared the worst until it was discovered that he had been upstairs in the family’s attic all along. Now it appears the case may be heading to court after all. Falcon told CNN that he wasn’t hiding to avoid punishment, as was originally reported, but that he did it “for the show” and a former assistant to father Richard Heene has claimed to have discussed doing something like this for publicity with Heene.
Sheriff Jim Alderman has said that he is reccomending two felony counts be charged against the father. The first is contributing to the delinquency of a minor, presumably for enlisting his six year old son to participate in the hoax by hiding. The second is attempting to influence a public servant. Alderman has also said he’s discussing the case with federal officials to see if any federal charges may be appropriate.
