Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Courts Bring Corliss Back Down to Earth
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 5, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 5, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Would-be Empire State Building jumper, Jeb Corliss (pictured), isn't in the clear yet. Last year's decision from Supreme Court Justice Michael Ambrecht to dismiss the charges against him was overturned yesterday when The Supreme Court Appellate Division decided to bring the case back to life.
A four-judge panel unanimously voted, and the Manhattan District Attorney's office can now pursue its charge of reckless endangerment against Corliss for his 2006 attempted jump. The judges did reduce the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor, however Corliss could still end up in the slammer for a year, most likely the worst nightmare for a daredevil (though Evel Knievel was known to be familiar with a jail cell or two). On the upside, Daedalus made some wings while imprisoned; maybe time served could serve as inspiration.
His lawyer, Mark Heller, has stood by his argument that there is no law in New York against jumping off buildings. This is something that council member Peter Vallone, Jr. is trying to change with the new bill he has introduced which would essentially protect innocent bystanders from getting fallen on. Yesterday Vallone's office told us that they don't actually know of any fatalities that have been caused by base jumping in New York, however "a basic search reveals there have been over 100 fatalities in the past 25 years" worldwide.
Heller is considering an appeal to the state's highest court.
Tagged
appeal
Appellate Division
bill
court
District
district attorney
empire state
empire state building
Evel Knievel
jeb corliss
Jr.
jump
law
manhattan
manhattan district attorney
new york
parachute
peter vallone
peter vallone jr.
State Building
supreme court
Supreme Court justice
The Supreme Court
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .