Couple Appears in Court Over Empire State Climb

A man and woman face felony and misdemeanor charges after scaling the Empire State Building in July.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Romance

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a single Empire State Building silhouette in deep navy against cream, evoking the institutional weight of a criminal case. — A Manhattan judge heard arguments Thursday in the felony and misdemeanor case against a couple who scaled the Empire State Building in July, as prosecutors and defense attorneys disputed a withdrawn plea offer. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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A couple who scaled the Empire State Building in July appeared in court Thursday for a hearing on felony and misdemeanor charges. The climbers displayed a black flag at the top of the building during the climb.

Why it matters

The hearing centers on a disputed plea offer that defense attorneys say would have shielded the climbers from immigration consequences, while the Manhattan District Attorney's Office says the charges remain the same. The case highlights how criminal resolutions can carry consequences beyond the courtroom for non-citizen defendants.

The charges filed are three felonies, including first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal mischief and third-degree burglary, plus one misdemeanor count of unlawful climbing. Whether a plea deal will be reinstated after it was allegedly withdrawn has not been resolved.

The players

Manhattan District Attorney's Office

The office is the prosecuting agency in Manhattan responsible for bringing criminal charges against defendants in the borough, including the charges filed in this case.

The details

The climbers scaled the skyscraper in July and displayed a black flag bearing the message "when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace" at the top. Following the climb, one of the climbers proposed to the other, and defense attorneys say a misdemeanor plea offer was allegedly withdrawn the night before Thursday's court appearance.

July: Climbers scaled the Empire State Building.
Night before Thursday's hearing: Plea offer allegedly withdrawn, according to defense attorneys.
Thursday: Climbers appeared in court for a hearing on the charges.

Legal Context

Plea negotiations designed to avoid immigration consequences for non-citizen defendants are a recurring feature of U.S. criminal cases, and this dispute reflects that dynamic. The defense's account of a plea offer meant to shield the climbers from deportation consequences places the case within that established practice.

Readers following the case can track whether a plea agreement is reached at future hearings in Manhattan court. The outcome will determine whether the charges remain felonies or are reduced to misdemeanors.

The takeaway

Criminal plea terms can carry consequences far beyond a sentence, particularly for non-citizen defendants, so the details of any agreement matter as much as the charges themselves.