She's a victim of the paranoia of authorities responsible for protecting the public from terrorists.
Simpson's lawyer Ross Schreiber argues that the fake bomb charge is an overreaction.
BOSTON -- The MIT student who walked into Logan International Airport wearing a computer circuit board and wiring on her sweat shirt claimed it was harmless artwork. But to troopers who arrested her at gunpoint, it was a fake bomb.
Nineteen-year-old Star Simpson was charged Friday with possessing a hoax device. Her attorney described the charge as offbase and "almost paranoid," arguing at a court hearing that she did not act in a suspicious manner and had told an airport worker that the device was art.
...Simpson is the secretary of MIT's Electrical Research Society, according to her lawyer. She is a graduate of the Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a private boarding school, has won school prizes for chemistry and leadership and had received a Congressional citation for her work in robotics, said Ross Schreiber, who was appointed to represent Simpson.
He said she was not a risk to flee, cooperated with authorities and was a good student with no prior convictions. He said they would fight the charges.
"I would characterize it as almost being paranoid at this point," Schreiber said of authorities' response.
He said Simpson had gone to the airport to meet her boyfriend. "She was there for legitimate purposes," Schreiber said.
What an absolute crock!
Simpson was at the airport for a legitimate purpose, but this certainly isn't "legitimate" behavior:
She wore the white circuit board on her chest over a black hooded sweat shirt.... The battery-powered rectangular device had nine flashing lights, and Simpson had Play-Doh in her hands....
When an airport employee questioned her about the board she didn't answer. Instead, she just walked away.
Right.
Nothing suspicious about that.
It's very normal to see people in airports with that sort of stuff strapped to themselves and gripping Play-Doh. Sure. It happens all the time.
Authorities didn't overreact. This isn't a matter of paranoia.
It's about protecting the public from harm.
The suggestion that it's an overreaction to take suspicious behavior seriously is an insult to authorities who work tirelessly to keep us safe.
No doubt, terrorists are applauding Ross Schreiber.
Of course, his job is to defend Simpson; but employing the "paranoia" angle is dangerous.
If Simpson didn't want to be treated like a threat to public safety, then she shouldn't have acted like one.
It's very simple.
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