Media objects to closed hearing for flight disturbance case

HONOLULU — A federal judge in Honolulu was scheduled to hear arguments Thursday whether to close a hearing for a Turkish man accused of inflight behavior that prompted fighter jets to escort the airplane to Hawaii last May.

Anil Uskanli’s attorney, Richard Sing, requested a hearing over his client’s mental competency and detention to be closed to the public to protect Uskanli’s private mental health information.

The Associated Press, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and other media outlets object to closing the proceeding.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield initially granted closing the hearing but after the media objected, he said the press has a right to be heard.

Mansfield said Thursday’s hearing would explore whether to completely close the proceeding or make arrangements that balance public rights to court access and Uskanli’s privacy. Whichever way the judge rules, the mental competency and detention hearing is expected to be held immediately after that proceeding.

Uskanli tried to get to the front of the plane during the American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu on May 19, according to court documents.

Flight and crewmembers feared his laptop contained explosives, said a criminal complaint charging him with interfering with a flight crew.

A flight attendant blocked his path to first class with a drink cart, and he was duct-taped to his seat until the plane landed.

The disturbance prompted the Hawaii National Guard to scramble two fighter jets to escort the plane to Honolulu.

Uskanli raised other red flags while still at Los Angeles International Airport before the flight took off: He had purchased a ticket at an airline counter in the middle of the night with no luggage and had been arrested after opening a door to a restricted area.

A federal judge in Hawaii ordered the mental competency evaluation after his defense attorney requested it.