Astronaut Wants Monitor Removed
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ORLANDO, Fla. – Former astronaut Lisa Nowak, accused of attacking a romantic rival, asked a judge today to let her remove her electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, saying that it causes abrasions and gets in the way of her military boots laces.
She promised to abide by all court orders if the GPS monitoring device is removed, including not having any contact with Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman, the woman she is accused of pepper spraying.
Captain Shipman also testified, telling the judge that she was still afraid of Nowak. Knowing Nowak has to wear the monitoring device gives her comfort, she said.
Ms. Nowak, a 44-year-old Navy pilot, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, battery and burglary with assault.
Her attorney, Donald Lykkebak, said he planned to ask Circuit Court Judge Marc L. Lubet at the hearing Friday to throw out some of the most damning evidence in the case, including an interview Nowak gave to police and items found during a search of her car.
In an interview with detectives, Ms. Nowak had said that she and Captain Shipman were vying for the affection of the same space shuttle pilot and that she confronted Captain Shipman in an Orlando International Airport parking lot because she wanted to know “where she stands.”
She is accused of attacking Captain Shipman with pepper spray and trying to jump into her vehicle. Police say Ms. Nowak also had a duffel bag with a steel mallet, 4-inch knife and a BB gun.
Mr. Lykkebak contends police searched Nowak’s car without her permission or a warrant. He said in additional court filings that she gave the interview under duress – after being held for three hours, deprived of sleep and a phone call and unadvised of her constitutional rights. The interview persisted, Mr. Lykkebak said, despite Ms. Nowak saying “Should I have a lawyer?” three times.
Ms. Nowak planned to give her first public statement after the hearing, he said.
She told the judge she wanted the monitoring bracelet removed because it is bulky and also interferes with her ability to exercise – a requirement for a Navy officer. It also inhibits her ability to drive and fly on a commercial airplane, she said.
