they should be punished of course , so that other people who plan to imitate them would learn from it.
a fine and a short jail term would do to make them learn that some issues are not to be joked with.
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This answer assumes it is proven that this was a hoax, and specifically one planned by the parents, which is not yet the case.

As the party responsible, the Heenes should be required to cover the costs of the balloon chase and subsequent search for their 6 year old child. Assuming it is provided for in the laws of Colorado, they should also be prosecuted for the closest equivalent to filing a false police report. Whatever the result of that prosecution, whether jail time or fines, should be levied against them if they are proven guilty in court.

While providing such a poor example for their kids, even compounded by stressing the kids, putting them on national TV (to the point that Falcon vomits twice on TV) is definitely not good parenting, it is not sufficient reason to remove the kids from their family, in my opinion. There are probably millions of other parents guilty of providing poor examples to their kids every day in the US, and there is no reason to hold the Heenes to a higher standard. Since the children never actually went on the balloon, it does not seem they were endangered by their parents, at least in this episode.

A judgment as to the Heenes' sanity must be left to competent authorities. However, perpetrating such a hoax certainly seems to indicate poor judgment and self-centeredness, if nothing else.
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It comes to whether or not they were involved or not. If they were, then yes they deserve punishment...and honeslt I would probably take the children...if getting the medias attention over pretending your son is missing that's not right. Your child should mean more to you then that...
Now for the boys they need some counciling, and discipline from soemoen if the parents aren't willing to do so...

However if this isn't a hoax...then the child still deserves punishment to some extent...there's a reason that kid got near the balloon and it got released.
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30 days in county jail. CPS visits twice a month for 2 years. ;)
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I think, at the very least, the entire family needs some serious counseling. Falcon Heene will more than likely be traumatized from this whole thing. That boy didn't ask for all of this attention, either positive or negative, or the stress that accompanies it. The media's coining of the phrase "balloon boy" and being upset to the point of vomiting on national tv have got to be more than a six year old can possibly handle on his own. If it is most definitely a hoax on the part of the parents, then I think the appropriate punishment would be community service and serious psychiatric treatment, including anger management for the father. Even without ascertaining for sure that it was a hoax, it is apparent that the father definitely has some major issues, as proven by his repeated outbursts of anger and his constant desire for attracting attention to himself, even just through all of his reality shows (He was on one episode of Wife Swap, and had approached TLC and another network for two other shows.) I think locking them up or taking away the children will only serve to make matters worse, but a major intervention is needed. I also think the father should have to pay some kind of restitution for the cost of resources involved in the search. Either way, the man needs help! NOT HEALTHY!
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I think they should get their own reality show, book deal, talent agent and cross country tour. This is America. They played by the rules now give 'em their due. Our country is in trouble, oh man.
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a paddling is definitely needed here....
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read all these answers and most are very good. The Heene's should be prosecuted for this horrible stunt. They are guilty for using emergency services for personal gain. I just saw a report on the news where they interviewed the sheriff of Larimer County. He was saying that the cost of all the emergency services plus the stall at the airport cost over 2 million dollars. That is quite a price tag.

I just want to add a few more points that have not been mentioned here. We have discussed the costs of the emergency services, but I would be interested to know if anyone else was in need of emergeny services for a legitamate emergency. If someone died because of a lack of emergency service then I think that the Heenes should also be prosecuted for manslaughter.

We have discussed what type of punishment should be imposed on this family and according to the Larimer Sheriff it will probably only be community service because this is their first offense. But what an offense baby!!! They should have jail time and their kids should be out to foster care with family.

Which brings me to another points. Mayumi Heene. It is said that she was very distraught about her son flying on this balloon. Well really! Did her husband include her in his plans to exploit their son or is she a fantastic actress.

Falcon was said to have thrown up twice from the stress of this situation. He was exploited by either one or both of his parents. These people not only need help, they need parenting classes. And if Mayumi Heene did know about this stunt, then I want my time with her.

I promise, this is my last point. This has not been mentioned yet. When I saw this balloon careening across Colorado at 8000 feet, I was horrified. I kept thinking about this helpless 6 year old boy and prayed that God would protect him. Within 5 minutes after it first aired on CNN we had a prayer chain longer than we ever had before. Constantly I worried about Falcon and prayed with everything that I had. When the balloon finally landed and they found that Falcon was not in it, I fell to my knees and cried as if it had been my own little Cody. Then I looked up again to the news report and there was a picture of something that could have fallen off the balloon. I cried more. How was this precious child going to survive such a fall. I wanted to check my children out of school just so I could hold them, protect them, and just make sure they were safe. This was the most horrendous day that I can remember since the fiasco of Susan Smith. My friend told me that she thought it might be a hoax, but I wouldn't hear of it. How could any parent do such a horrible thing to a 6 year old. Through this whole thing I lost sleep, and when I did sleep I had nightmares concerning the whole affair. It caused me to have one of the worst migrains that I ever remember having. I suffered through all the turmoil.

I want to sue these people myself for emotional distress and I know that I wouldn't be the only one. Let's start a class action suit.

The punishment that I feel would be appropriate is jail time. Each parent should be tried separately and punished to the fullest extent of the law. They should have to reimburse Larimer County for emergency services and for charges incurred by the airport. After getting out of jail they should not be allowed to television type work anymore. It is not right for them to profit for this stunt. A criminal in prison is not allowed to sell books that he writes and the Heenes should not be allowed to profit through television either.

I have no sympathy for these people. There children are as much of this ploy as the parents, but obviously they should not be prosecuted, but there must be a way to teach them that this is inappropriate.
Source(s):
CNN news, personal opinion

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The kids should be looked at by social services, they should be fined all reperations, and be ignored.
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Mayumi Heene and Richard Heene should have to
repay the taxpayers
for all the emergency services resources they wasted.
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Everybody has their own good opinions on what should happen to the Heenes. For me, yes too, that they should be accountable for what they did so it will be an example or caution to people who wants to follow their strategy. It's imaginable that people can be unthoughtful of what comes out of one's stupid action, thank God that nobody was injured physically.
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Frankly, the media shot stop covering them entirely, and we should all just stop giving them any attention. Let's not encourage folks who do things like this. They shouldn't get a book deal. They shouldn't get a reality TV deal. They should just be denied the attention they obviously crave.
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I am horrified by this story, because the children were basically treated so harshly by being forced to lie. I feel like the family should be forced to pay back the owners of the wheat field that was destroyed, pay restitution for the cost of the "rescue", and agree to psyche evaluation and a two-year probation. The probation itself should be a sobering reminder of the crime they committed.

I also would recommend counselling for the entire family and plenty of community service, which should include the children. The children can feel like they did a little to pay for lieing, because they will feel guilty. A family-centered community service plan will help the boys feel a little better.
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Richard and Mayumi Heene should be held responsible for their actions to the full extent of the law. They should have to pay any applicable fines and also reimburse the state of Colorado for any costs that were incurred by emergency personnel who were responding to the 911 call that was placed.

I doubt they will do jail time, sadly I think that is the only punishment that would get through to them. I would like to see a full investigation started to determine if they are "fit" parents. Judging from the additional footage of their storm chasing activities, which showed the children in the car with both Richard and Mayumi while a tornado was circling above, I think they might have a few screws loose. Responsible parents do not intentionally endanger their children. "Stupid" is too kind a word to describe their actions and the example they are setting for their children.

It is sad to think that people would go to such lengths in a quest for fame and fortune. Many of us living in Colorado were terrified when first hearing that Falcon might have been in that balloon. We anxiously followed the story, fearing for the worst. Plenty of people across the nation (and even the world) stopped what they were doing to send a prayer to the Heene family in their time of need. To find out this was all a hoax was a form of betrayal.
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