A Hollywood actor known for playing James Bond received a relatively mild sentence Thursday for foot travel in a thermal area in Yellowstone National Park.
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming, Pierce Brosnan was fined $500, and required to pay a $1,000 community service payment to the Yellowstone Forever Geological Fund, a $30 court processing fee, and a $10 special assessment.
According to court documents, on or about Nov. 1, 2023, Brosnan uploaded pictures to his Instagram page of himself standing on a Yellowstone National Park thermal feature at Mammoth Hot Springs. There are signs posted in the area that warn visitors of the dangers of thermal features and state that visitors must remain on the designated boardwalks and trails.
Brosnan pleaded guilty, and while the United States Attorney’s Office asked the court to sentence Brosnan to 2 years’ probation and the maximum fine of $5,000, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick in Mammoth, Wyoming imposed a lighter sentence.
The National Park Service used the occasion to remind Yellowstone visitors that the ground in thermal areas is fragile and thin, and scalding water is just below the surface. Therefore, trespassing on thermal features is dangerous and can harm delicate natural resources within the park.
This case was investigated by the National Park Service, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes.
