NY Times Building Climber Clarke Indicted

One of the climbers who scaled the NY Times building earlier this year is making headlines again. Although both Renaldo Clarke and Alain Robert climbed the same building unannounced on June 5th, their stunts are being treated differently, The NY Times reports. Robert is being viewed as a professional stuntman, while Clarke is not-- despite his attempts to convince the court otherwise (he says he previously climbed the Hearst building unnoticed). Clarke appeared in State Supreme Court in Manhattan yesterday and (just like the third climber) was indicted on criminal charges, something Robert avoided with his charges being dropped. He could now face up to a year in prison, something his lawyer says is "a little disappointing. I guess they bought the first guy’s claim that he’s Mr. Experienced Climber.” Mr. Unexperienced Climber will now be seeking a plea deal.

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By Jen Carlson in News on October 8, 2008 1:14 PM

Comments [rss]

freeclimb05

once again, let us climb...no harm to others, you can go with out paying your child support or beating your wife or driving drunk quite a few times before serving time...but climbing a building?

NannyState

The first guy climbed in a conscientious,responsible way but this one was too shifty and filled with crimminal malice as he scaled those same ceramic rods. (they could tell from the helicopter video)

Felix Hoenikker

Jail time??? wtf.

3 months probation, plus time served.

next case, please.

shovel

No matter how you feel about his stunt, I can assure you he's a very kind and considerate person. It would make me sad to hear he'd have to go to prison for a year.

What does it say that I know two people whose arrests have made the news (Gothamist included) in the past month??

Politburo

What's not in the Gothamist writeup is that the indictments were handed down by separate grand juries. So it wasn't the same people looking at the two cases and coming to different conclusions, as one might initially suspect.

HenryKrinkle

He should have been charged with indecent stupidity. His lawyer must really suck...

longacre

The other climber who was charged was definitely not black.

Wza

#1 said it.

drewo

Where does one get a professional stuntman certificate?

Qraymond

Yeah, it does come off as racist. I can see the argument that a pro climber would put people below in less harm, but it doesn't seem like much of a distinction.

Anyway, how does one define a "pro" climber/stuntman? Do you get a license?

I say make them both do community service (hi-rise window washing perhaps?) and call it a day.

matty

This is kind of fucked up in a weird "that's-totally-racist-but-the-crime-is-so-weird that-I-never-thought-race-would-be-an-issue here" kind of way.