NEW YORK – A former host of a TV stunt show put himself and others in danger because he was reckless and selfish enough to try to parachute from the Empire State Building 2½ years ago, a prosecutor told jurors Friday.
Jeb Corliss' lawyer said his client was not reckless but an expert who has done more than 1,000 jumps and has never hurt another person.
Corliss was arrested on the 102-story landmark's 86th-floor observation deck April 27, 2006, after he climbed over a guardrail and “suicide fence” while wearing a parachute and a helmet that had a video camera attached.
Corliss, then host of the Discovery Channel's “Stunt Junkies” program, was fired after the attempt. The 32-year-old Malibu, Calif., man is charged with misdemeanor reckless endangerment and faces a year in jail if convicted.
Manhattan prosecutor Mark Crooks said Corliss acted with “selfishness, arrogance and recklessness,” choosing the “busiest hour” at the “busiest location” in the city to attempt the parachute jump.
More than 20 bus lines – as well as countless tourist buses, cabs and pedestrians – were using the streets below during the 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. rush hour, Crooks said.
Defense lawyer Mark Heller said Corliss, who claims to be a professional BASE (building, antenna, span, earth) jumper, did not act recklessly because he studied wind currents and street traffic patterns before attempting to jump.
Heller also said there was no specific law at the time against what Corliss did. Earlier this year, the City Council passed a law that outlaws stunts of the type Corliss attempted.
Crooks said it is impossible to predict wind speeds and directions around skyscrapers at any specific time, so Corliss could not have been sure he would not hurt anyone.
Steven R. Hanna, a Harvard University meteorologist, confirmed that statement in testimony for the prosecution.
Crooks also said Corliss admitted he suffered “gruesome” injuries during a jump in South Africa. Crooks said the defendant was hospitalized for a month after breaking his back and several ribs and severely lacerating his buttocks.
The trial continues Monday.
