PRISON for camping out of bounds *not clickbait* 

No one seems to be pointing out the fact that the Rangers made them move 1hr before dark in several feet of snow right after an incredibly draining and taxing event. The rangers literally put the lives of three additional hikers at great risk, and then ticketed them for trying to comply. Seems pretty par for the course for law enforcement these days.

I live next to Olympic National Park. When a hiker goes missing, it is the parks policy to deny professional search and rescue teams with their dogs to search for the missing hiker. Drones are not permitted to search for the hiker. Washed out roads are never repaired, just closed for decades. Washed out campgrounds are never repaired, just closed. Everything in the park requires reservations and Aramark charges 15 per cent of the gross to the person making the reservations. Aramark owns all the concessions in most of our National Parks. We need to take back our National Parks.

I was just there two weeks ago. We also had an encounter with a Ranger. No snow, so we could see the trail, however there were only two signs. One sign at the trailhead showed a map and stated to camp behind the general store near the pit toilets. Another sign at the Backcountry Office said the same. We moved (in the dark at 10:00pm after hiking 16.5 hours) to camp at the first spot behind the pit toilet. Ranger came the next day and gave us a warning for not being in the correct spot. I asked him if they could put up anymore signs. There were none beyond the trailhead or backcountry office. I can’t imagine being there in snow. I should also mention, we decided to have a fire. A week before we left, I went to the South Rim Backcountry Office to ask a Ranger a few questions. They said we could have a fire in the designated fire rings. So we did. Again, the Ranger let us off with a warning, but the confusion is ridiculous and unnecessary. I questioned him about the previous response and he said they had no idea what they were talking about. Great! How do I figure out what’s allowed and what’s not if the rangers aren’t reliable?!?

It is ridiculous that Eric can go to jail for a simple camping mistake. Yet there are evil people, murderers that get aways with their crimes. Unbelievable!

It’s really sad that nobody, throughout the process, considered the whole situation and stepped up and threw the case out.

I ran into a similar situation in a state forest in New York several years ago. Short story is that I got a ticket for camping too close to a trail - though I had a GPS and it showed that I was far enough away. The Ranger I dealt with told me GPS were inaccurate and then asked me if I had a tape measure. Once I said no, she handed me a ticket. Thankfully, the judge threw it out - I got lucky… So sorry you guys went through all of this…

Eric should immediately begin the process for expungement. Then you won’t have a criminal record. It’s insane that you had to go through this process for camping. It should only ever be a fine and never come to a misdemeanor charge. Nonsense.

I'm sorry this happened to you Eric. I am a retired law enforcement officer and in nearly all things, you have officer discretion. Unfortunately, many new or younger law enforcement officers don't understand that concept and treat everyone regardless of the incident as if they were a mass murderer. They don't comprehend the impact their actions have and understand basic humanity and compassion. The National Parks Service and the Rangers are why I avoid National Parks with a vengeance. I had a similar run-in in a National Park where I was the subject of a traffic stop for 18mph in a 15mph speed zone. Family and friends in the vehicle (while still an active law enforcement officer), young guy who starts yelling at me for going by him 3mph over the speed limit. Asks if there are any weapons in the vehicle and then draws his firearm when I say yes. I remained calm and explained my status and showed him my credentials. Then demanded to speak with their supervisor for the behavior and pointing a firearm at someone without justification. Supervisor basically blew it off and said, "If you don't like it, don't visit a National Park." Public lands that are definitively not "for the people" and absolutely out of control behavior of those expected to set the example and uphold the law. The National Parks service, Rangers and Law Enforcement have a difficult job, but their behavior is making it far worse and turning them into an enemy of the people. Almost as if they are forcing people with their rules, permits, timed entry and such to stay out of the National Parks. You derive your authority from the consent of the governed. Many have lost sight of that fact.

I had a similar incident happen to me, I always tried to be a good steward to the environment and national parks, including leave no trace, but my interaction with park rangers has ruined camping for me for the last few years and honestly changed my outlook on law enforcement and the courts in general.

insane story. Insane laws. We have a law in Norway. We call it the All Mans Right, or Freedom to Roam. We can hike and camp where ever we want. Doesn't matter if the land/forest/mountain is public or privately owned. It is a right. There are limitations, you must move on after 2-3 nights. You must leave the nature as you found it. In National Parks you can't fly a drone. Many european countries have the same kind of laws.

Last weekend we got lost on top of a mountain, drove around for a few hours trying to figure out what to do, took a road that looked like it would get us back to the highway. Ended up behind a locked gate, at the bottom of a big hill, in the pitch dark, in the pouring rain. Had to call the Sherriff. They ticketed us for $1000 for trespassing on private property, despite there being no signs. I feel your pain to some degree, you are dealing with so much more! :(

Eric should get Devon from Legal Eagle to review the legal aspects of this whole ordeal. It would be nice to have a lawyer's perspective on this.

The thing that really gets me is how on top of everything else, how unreasonable and blatantly malicious their offer was for the plea agreement. No publication of material would be a hit for so many people - loss of a 100k project and all the residual income from the videos of the whole team, also makes it near impossible to self advocate. And then all the suggested bans from all the parks and for so long? They were really going after his whole career. And admitting that they wanted to make an example out of Eric is disgusting. Right after his friend almost died. This is so messed up. I really hope Karma is a thing.

It's total BS. That ranger obviously has a power trip.

Dan, make a petition to appeal! We will support Eric.

My dad got charged with operating a commercial river trip on a private permit. He ended up with about $100-$200 left over after it was all done. When the case got to the judge he said to the prosecutor, “You brought him here for $100? Don’t do this again.” His fine was reduced to $100. Judge should have thrown this out.

I watched Eric’s video on this and was stunned. I’m glad you, Dan, are also giving this air time. It truly bothers me that Eric now has a criminal record and this could seriously impact his ability to visit other countries and create content on international travel😊

This makes me feel like we should all go out and film in a National Park and post it. I mean, we, the people, own these parks. We, as individuals, shouldn't need a permit to film in a park. It's absolutely ridiculous. So glad you both have survived this ordeal. You followed the rules and instructions in a very stressful situation.

I was group leader on a 3 day trip. We started late! We had my friends father of about 70 years. He had a rock fall on his ankle just as we reached the Tonto Trail East, having gone down Hermits trail. He was having trouble walking. We still had miles to get to our camp when the light ran out! We decided to camp on the trail. The next morning after getting water at Salt Springs, we hiked to Indian Gardens. Myself and another went ahead a few turns of the other four to set up 2nd camp. The ranger contacted us and was furious that we separated from the group until we pointed out that they were just 2 turns away. Then I mentioned that it was because we had an injury in our party and wanted to set up camp for him. I also said that we didn't make it to camp due to the injury and camped on the trail. He said "I bet I can find where you deficated!" He then saw the age of our friends father and stormed away! I want to add. Bring Ibuprofen! That was used to reduce swelling and allowed him to finish. Luckily what happened to you, didn't happen to us! I shared this with 2 friends involved. Omg! Sorry for your experience!

It’s interesting that Eric mentioned that he is now hesitant to go back to the national parks, because that’s exactly how I feel after I first heard this whole story. I’ve never been to one because there aren’t any near me, and I always wanted to go…..but now I’ve totally lost interest in it. Guess I’ll stick with my state parks. Adirondacks are in my back yard.

This is crazy to hear. I can relate 100% on the emotional stress of the aftermath of dealing with a life-threatening emergency. I have had decades of 1st aid training prior my military career. During that time in the service I was trained heavily in urgent care and being in a supervisor role. On a hunting trip with my nephew (Army veteran), he had an event where he thought he was in combat and lost. Getting him calmed and back to reality.. then to a medical facility took the whole day. Once he was back home safe.. I!! fell apart.. couldn't think straight, etc. If I had been charged with a crime afterward.. don't think that I would have been nearly as calm or professional as you.

Fair play for standing your ground. It's not right this happened even with the circumstances. Hope things are alright. Great video. Love watching ❤❤.

Well Dan, you can still contribute to Eric's fine❤

The first time I heard about this it reminded me of Jon Conti's story about how he hit the SOS button. In his eyes he couldn't safely do what the local responding police department wanted him to do and then got blasted by the police department on their Facebook page. The post and comments point blank called him out as a RU-vidr and taking stupid risks for video viewership. Episode 154 (Sep 5) on the Live Ultralight Podcast discusses this situation.

Hello from Beautiful British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦 As a foreigner Makes one leary of visiting🎉😂❤

This is especially crazy because AZT hikers camp in that area all the time without permits, hell a lot of them sleep right outside the store. This is someone making an "example" of you.

The real sad story here is that he couldn't defend himself against stupidity.

Crappy deal. Unfortunately, the law only cares about the law. However, the right thing for them to do would have been to give you a written warning and leave it at that. Just because they could prosecute doesn't mean they should!

Sounds like we should rename "National Parks" to "Federal Parks."

Thank you for telling your story. Not a good deal for sure. I was eyewitness to a camping infringement in Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia. Although the Ranger was pretty perturbed, because of the multi day violation and their proximity to the no camping allowed sign , he told them to pack up and be on their way. That’s what they did. No tickets just a firm word. Things certainly could’ve been handled different in your case. Especially with the circumstances and the time of year.

My daughter and I were camping in the painted desert, well we were supposed to. It was getting late; we had zero phone service and couldn't find the exact campsite. It had rained and our feet were literally sinking in the dirt. We decided to turn around and go back to the car. We had regretted not just throwing our tents out where we were. Now I don't! Thank you for this!

Sadly there are those in the federal land service agencies that want to keep people out of the national parks and off federal lands. In a former job I experienced it with Tonto National Forest in Arizona. I’ve also had family have experiences as part of their careers with those types of people in federal land use agencies. And voting doesn’t apply to the bureaucratic agencies sadly.

Terrible this happened to Eric, very sorry to hear. It sounds like a couple things went wrong on the national park service end. My predictions- heavy slap on the hand because of his social media platform. Park services most likely have to deal with delinquent people all the time i.e. one bad apple ruins it for the whole bunch. Possibly why Eric had to run through hoops on this. Also the inconsistency of the ranger information that was given. A couple hundred dollar fine, and a “hey it was a miscommunication” would have been suffice. On the larger surface though- I hope this video reaches the right people, and Eric is able to expunge his record.

Its interesting that many countries in Europe have Roam Free laws allowing you to camp anywhere. I don't know if I like the idea of camping on private property without requesting permission. However, on public land that is how it should be. So here in the "home of the free" you can't "Roam Free" without a bunch of permits that limit you in where you can go and stay so it doesn't really seem like the "home of the free" anymore.

Thank you for sharing your story. There is an important lesson here for all potential visitors to our national parks. May we all be thus forewarned.

Thanks for sharing, It’s a learning experience for enthusiasts of all outdoor disciplines.

I was wondering where you’ve been. Good to see you’re okay. And that sucks about Eric! Smart move to get an attorney.

This is what happens in a police state......reminds me of Code Enforcement in my town. Brutal. Like 20 yrs in prison for trespassing? hmmmmmm.

My own personal experience with the NPS in various states is that they really don’t want anyone in the National Parks. They are okay with reserving that space for themselves and for certain groups (like birding groups) to enjoy.

I watched Eric's video of the situation. In it he related the following sequence of events: We were asked to move. We went sight seeing instead. We got back and were told to move again. We did not move where we were told to move. It is clear to me that Eric was being the kid who did not want to do something and intentionally misinterpreted what was said to him. It is unreasonable to believe he did not have GPS coordinates for his assigned campsite. And did not know he was in a no camping area. I suppose the court had a similar opinion. I expect that with the videos on the internet many people will look at a double crossing in the winter as tough hike where one can get assistance from the park staff who are not expecting to provide it. Probably best to take them down. I am 75 and it has not been too long since I did a Rim to Rim to Rim winter hike. Must faster with less drama.

Just go camp on a sidewalk in a major city, you wont even get kicked out, (unless someone important is coming to visit and they need to clean up!). The judge could have just done a summary judgement, fined you and ended it, not drug it out 4 or 5 months and wasted all the resources ! I really think the Rangers should have looked at the whole situation and just dropped the idea of writing a citation !

I am so sorry this happened, and can really relate to this story. I worked for the Grand Canyon NP on the trail crew in 2009. I really fell in love with the canyon, and left there to work for the Forest Service in fire. They are both a bureaucratic nightmare to work for. I typically avoid national parks because I like to get away from the crowds when I go backpacking, but there is something that will always bring me back to the grand canyon. I was recently in Zion for the first time. I stayed on the west side for my entire trip to avoid the crowds. I had a backpacking permit that required going into the office to pick up in person instead of being able to print it. When I went in the ranger catastrophized everything about my trip. It is dangerous for me to go alone, the water will kill me, it is going to be too cold, it is too far of a distance... blah blah blah. Maybe it is because I am a woman who was going alone, but I am a very experienced backpacker and they just assumed I was naive. Their mission seems to be to keep people on the pavement or in the bus and make everything else as difficult as possible. It doesn't feel like public lands anymore, it feels more like a circus where you have to get a ticket and be patronized for putting yourself in such risk. I will not be going back to the Parks for a while.

Thanks for sharing this story. Of all the injustices, this is right at the top. It is authority run amuck.

As a long time backpacker in and outside national parks, I pretty much agree with everything y’all covered on this video, but I would like to offer some thoughts. Like Eric, I mostly will not place blame on the rangers. They have a tough, low paying job and a passion for the outdoors and the National parks. On the other hand the NPS is just another bureaucratic governmental organization and we all understand what politics can do. As far as the justice system, it is kind of the luck of the draw in any given situation. From the Ranger perspective, I would like to recommend a really great book that a friend suggested I read. I did the Audible version. The book is: Ranger Confidential, “Living, Working and Dying in the National Parks”, by Andrea Lankford. It is from the perspective of the Park Rangers side of the multi-faceted issues that they handle year around. It is actually a really easy read/listen and very interesting enjoyable. Andrea was a Park Ranger. Enjoy! Love y’all’s videos!

What a load of stupid governmental control BS! What is wrong with people over there? I’m so glad I’m in Sweden where the freedom to roam and wild camp is part of our constitutional rights. That Karen judge should work with parking tickets, only.

As busy as the parks are and as much as the government doesn’t want us to be out and about and thinking for ourselves, it sounds right on point. They want to deter us from doing things on our own and learning how to service without them.

I had something very similar happen to me at a park in Big Sur. They said they lost our registration (or that we didn't register but we did, and we paid.). I had to go to court, they reduced it to a $300 fine but I got a misdemeanor. That impacted my job prospects due to background checks. After a few years I went through the process of getting it expunged. Absolutely ridiculous.

I think the judge accomplished what she wanted. She got the word out that you will be prosecuted IF you camp out of bounds in the Grand Canyon.

Dan, I'm glad you were rescued and came away okay. Did you or Eric ever talk with those rangers after all of this so they could learn how unfair the outcome turned out?

Basically dude thought the gas station was the general store. I feel officer discretion should of been invoked and left off with a verbal warning. Considering all things presented are truthful.

wow, what a crazy story. praying for you eric, that frickin sucks man. like you said just keep telling your story

This is another example of National Park Employees trying to treat National Parks like their own little private kingdoms instead of acting like servants of the people.

Agreed that the prosecutor should have just refused the case. Also, once in court, the judge should have had the sense to admonish the prosecutor and either throw it out or reduce sentencing to just paying court costs (usually $100-200)

ERIC, can your legal record be eventually expunged?

40:00 Eric hit it on the head. I think it is 100% intentional that the National Park Service wants people vlogging with a mirrorless camera to pay the same price and go through the same process a full film crew for a Hollywood feature film needs to go through to film on public land. Public Land is owned by the people, the land is held for the people in public trust. Requiring that kind of fee to film on land we have a right to is an overreach, and that same mentality leads to idiotic cases like this one. It's a really disheartening thing. Our tax dollars pay officials to manage and maintain these lands, how much time and money do they spend enforcing horrible regulations like this? Anyone with a brain can see how silly it is.

Fellas you guys are doing amazing content, don’t let that incident stop you or slow your momentum. 🥾🥾 🥾🥾

SMH...Eric so calmly telling his experience...a true gentleman, and I can tell a calm leader when stuff hits the fan on the trail. Dan...love your channel and what you do for the Bucket Ministry. Gents keep up the great work ❤

Unbelievable. Hopefully the judge will have some compassion and THROW IT THE F OUT! Glad you’re doing well Dan. Really enjoy your channel. ❤️🤘😎

There is definitely a movement within the Department of Interior to discourage any public use of public lands.

Wow, crazy experience, I'm sorry Etic had to go through that. It seems ridiculous that the park ranger, his supervisor, the federal prosecutor, or the judge didn't use some discretion by simply asking themselves, "What was the harm?"

The irony of them not wanting the channels to publish it! If they would have overlooked it, we wouldn’t be watching this. 🙄

Oh you guys! I love you both individually, but together is like a backpacking dream team. The whole case with Eric, albeit understandable, is a total waste of taxpayers' money, and you're probably right that they were short on (actual) criminals at the time. [Eye roll] [Big sigh]. Love you two to the moon. Happy Thanksgiving. Grateful for you both!

I had two trips in to the boundary waters, at to different years. When I was stopped by rangers. 1st one I did not have my permit on me for our crew to be there . I was in my pack at the other end of the portage . And the other where permit was changed and each canoe had to have a part of the permit with it. Both times I was told make it right and don't let it happen again.

We need a podcast with you two talking about your outings, adventures, and gear.

On the way into the canyon, the rangers warned them their itinerary was aggressive. Given what happened to Dan, I think it’s more appropriate to call it reckless. Dan was struggling the day before but they proceeded up anyway. I think the ticket and subsequent prosecution is less about camping out of bounds, and more about punishing a group (of pros) that was behaving recklessly, necessitating an expensive rescue.

As a clinical counselor, I can attest we tell people all the time not to make big decisions in the midst of a a crisis event. The fact that you weren’t sure Dan would live or die was extremely weighing on you, and seems like it was not something that Ranger, prosecutor, or judge took into consideration. It infuriates me that “the law” / “court” / NPS did not allow for some grace and mercy. I’m glad God‘s justice is so much different from man’s. True, you did something wrong, and therefore it would be totally fair for you to be punished for it, but that ignores mercy and grace for the situation around the event. Absolutely immoral and unethical in my opinion to have such grievous responses to people who are trying to do what’s right. My heart goes out to you both.

This past Summer, I stopped my boat along the river at one of my favorite springs, on State land. I was immediately concerned when I noticed a few LEO's. There was a couple who looked to be on meth (if you know, you know), both bleeding from the face from apparently fighting with each other being made to take down their tent and move along. They had been camping/squatting on land where it is not allowed at all. They had basically taken over the spring, a popular public swimming hole for families. No charges were filed. They actually drove away.

I ran in to something similar in dolly copp camp ground in NH,they had been re-doing the campground and had barricaded up on several roads but no work was going on so I thought it was a perfect place to walk my dogs,wont bother campers, no cars to worry about so after a few minutes walking a warden came up to me said I can't be in here, ending in a 115. 00 fine and a court date if I wanted to fight it, so haven't been back there in years !

That's so ridiculous. Another thing that stroke me in this story is that none of you guys that were with Eric that day propose to split the bill to help him. If something like this happens to one of my friend while I was with him that day I would definitely pay my part. That's completely unfair for Eric, he had to pay for everyone basically.

Our tax dollars, wasted.

Our gov agencies are so corrupt. Every single one of them. They are not for the people. This sucks this happened to you Eric. I'll be praying for ya buddy.

No offense but they probably were not happy yall went there under terrible conditions and requested a rescue for a rabdo case.

This is why you should always counter sue and never take a plea deal from any government agency. That first plea deal tells you everything about the intentions of state and judge it was malicious with intent for you to accept a lesser monetary penalty plea. That also just so happens to damage your future credibility by having a record making it harder to defend yourself next time.

I have watched Eric’s video and Dan’s. I feel personally violated for you, Eric. All legal parties involved should be embarrassed.

Outrageous!!! I am a lifetime pass holder and I am going to send it back with a carefully worded letter. Very angry 😠.

Dan, so sorry that you had to go through this experience with the law. As an ultra marathon runner, I spend A LOT of time in the GC... 6 time R2R, 2 time R2R2R @ 63yrs old! I've unofficially helped in rescues and witness many exceptions to the rules. I will offer one piece of advice to all that visit the State/national parks.... if you find yourself in a similar situation, you MUST get names of people and write down their testimony. What is their position of authority?... WRITE IT DOWN! You mentioned that one ranger suggested that it was probably OK to camp by the trail head, another said to move to the designated camping area, does ranger #1 testimony supercede that of the permit?

I feel like you guys have never dealt with cops or the law, this is exactly how they treat everyone.

I could write a book about this, but here’s the basics: This is what happens when our Government (specifically Congress) uses organizations such as the Department of the Interior where Bureaucrats make regulations and rules they have no authority to make. Then they assess fines or penalties that ARE NOT LAW. Why does this happen? It happens because we citizens are ignorant of our Constitution and allow Congress to illegally pass legislation that creates these Bureaucracies that are run by unelected people who are not answerable to “The People”. “According to the letter of the Law”, you didn’t break any Law. You disobeyed a rule or Regulation, which is unconstitutional.

Absolutely crazy that this happens. Honestly disgusting they will let killers walk away and yet do this for camping a wee off from the right spot. Priorities are really messed up.

LOL. I've never seen the ON X logo before. It's so smart. I thought you'd been saying ONYX.

A dear friend and I were threatened with a fine recently for picking up pecans in a state park. We probably had 4 lbs between us and had left many trees untouched for the critters. We are 76 and 83. 😂. I think all of us who have camped illegally in a National Park should immediately turn ourselves in and flood the legal system.

It is obvious. They wanted to make an example of you. You have a RU-vid following and now we are all warned. it is classic!

I haven't fished for the last 30 years because I was ticketed 50 feet from open waters which was really hard to understand where the line was. I see where it would keep good people to stay out of the back country.

Come to Missouri and hike!

I would like to hear from the prosecution and the Rangers - but I am not sure what info that they would actually provide. I wonder if they have had bad experiences with other "You Tubers" who have used up their good graces - particularly since it is the Grand Canyon. This case could be more "the straw that broke the camel's back". BUT, it is also possible that they just are not willing to give a break to anyone.

Dude, I’m really glad you are ok! I first heard the story on Eric’s channel and then Eric’s interview on Kyle Hates Hiking. This whole thing makes me so angry. Conflicting direction of where to move camp, dealing with a medical emergency, the snow, trauma, drama, fatigue both mentally and physically and emotionally…the judge and prosecutor should be ashamed of themselves. ASHAMED!! You guys are respectful stewards of Leave No Trace. So ridiculous, the charges. Idiots.

Can you have your record expunged? I know people with identity theft charges that have. Camping 200 yards outside the camping zone in the snow after an emergency is so BEYOND ridiculous. Every person involved in bringing you to trial should be fired!

Our boy calling out Steve Willis here 😂

Thats unbelievable... I mean, if you respect the wilderness and are out camping, enjoying nature, and leaving no mess, I don't see the problem. If you camp somewhere and trash the place then yes, you should then be prosecuted. But not in this case.

Eric is supposed to be a seasoned guide, he could’ve easily pin pointed the correct coordinates to the camp ground. Were y’all using the On-X app? If so, not a good demonstration of accuracy. I’m not sure why this comment keeps getting deleted, it’s not a hateful comment just genuinely curious.

Hell I couldn't find the campsites in the spring. No snow. Ha.Knowing where you were you still had a ways to go.

The NPS should be embarrassed. Based on displaying behaviors they don't care. Harrassing people who make honest mistakes, and then allowing people who commit harmful crimes to go unpunished. After hearing this it makes me think we should boycott the national parks.

You guys are right. This is absurd that they would charge this. Shame on the NPS

It ought to be you sending him a grand being since he saves your friggin life

Overreach is a thing. A fine would’ve been fine and I guess I’ll stick to state parks. You guys need to do a 2 day float down river and a hike out 3 days on the Buffalo river national park!

In response to your question around prosecutor/judge at 33:00, you've got it backwards - the judge has discretion around sentencing, even with a plea bargain (and then you have the option to rescind your guilty plea if you don't like the altered sentence) but it undermines the relationship between judge and prosecutor so they're not likely to remove all consequences unless it's an extreme case. It sounds like the plea was up to $5000 fine and they went with $1000, which is quite reasonable without pissing off the prosecutor. But all of this involves a guilty plea, which is the real problem for him here - $1000 isn't fun but sounds like the real thing he's not happy with is a criminal record, which is mostly inevitable. There /is/ a verdict that is possible under various names depending on state - deferred judgment, deferred adjudication, stay of adjudication, to name a few - where you plea guilty, but the judge doesn't accept the guilty plea and instead defers it under some conditions, generally completing some period of probation, after successful completion of which the charges will be dropped entirely with no conviction (but if you violate your probation/any other conditions, the guilty plea will be accepted and entered as a conviction, with a sentence decided by the judge). However, this type of judgment really only ever happens with a plea bargain, if you just plea guilty without a plea bargain, the judge is almost certainly not going to defer adjudication. The prosecutor is ultimately the one responsible for whether and how the charges are prosecuted, they are the ones with the most discretion with regards to outcome. (Again, technically the judge can grant a maximally beneficial sentence, ie deferred adjudication with 1 day of probation, but that's really taking extreme liberties with their duty as judge, whereas the prosecutor is the one who's /supposed/ to have significant discretion.) Eric, if you're not aware, you can almost certainly sue for expungment after some period, which will close the records of your arrest/charges/conviction to everyone except the court, and then you'd be able to travel to countries that you currently can't travel to because of your record, unless, I guess, they looked into your history manually with things other than background checks and found your video on the whole thing, but I seriously doubt a customs agent is going to do that.

Dan, I’m really surprised you refused Eric’s request to cover $1000 of his legal ordeal. You guys are really good buddies and look what he did for you. In light that you were excluded from the charges, and he asked you, the least you can do is to help him out with the fines. I don’t often comment and enjoy your videos separately and especially together , but you saying you’re not going to be the one to pay the $1000 just struck a chord in this situation.

This, combined with park service employee attitudes, and requiring online reservations through a government contractor, has convinced me to never set foot in a national park again. I have also started writing my representatives asking that the NPS budget be cut to only the amount they take in every year.

I live 35 miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. I will hike there but never overnight there. I'll drive for hours for that.

Eric you did a far better job than I would have. Questioning officers is no issue for me, be it politely or with an attitude. Given the situation that had unfolded and the weather conditions I wouldn't have left the trail head at all. They could either let me stay and ill be gone before sunrise or arrest me ill take it up in court, Probably not the right way to do things but o well.. we as citizens pay their salary and as the years roll on it seems more and more public servants of all areas of government seem to forget that ( including the judge with "her grand canyon"). This story needs to be spread as far and wide as possible. Any normal human with a shred of compassion would be just as pissed as Dan and Eric appear to be (as well as the rest of the people commenting)