Last week a HUGE and excellent debate broke out over the post about the girl who was caught red handed recording a portion of the Transformers movie in the theater. Some thought she should get charged… some thought that she shouldn’t. The bottom line was that she did get charged and Kristina was nice enough to send me the update to that girls case.
Apparently the girl pled guilty to the charges and got a reasonable sentence. The following is from WIRED:
The guilty plea (.pdf) by Jhannet Sejas, 19, a Marymount University sophomore, spared her a maximum year in jail. Under last week’s deal in Arlington County General District Court, Sejas was fined $71 in court costs and could have been on the hook for a maximum $2,500 fine, according to court records.
When arrested on her birthday last month, the Annandale, Virginia, resident said she was taking the short clip with a Canon PowerShot to show her 13-year-old brother. Neither Sejas nor her attorney were immediately available for comment. If Sejas stays out of trouble for a year, the misdemeanor will be expunged from her record.
I was one of those people who thought that the girl HAD to be charged… but that the sentence or punishment should reflect the fact that it was a relatively minor infraction. I think a $71 fine is pretty minor. The fact that the judge structured it in such a way that in a year it can be removed from her record was good to.
Apparently the MPAA and the National Theater Owner association are also happy with the outcome. I think this turned out pretty much good for everyone. The principle was upheld, a message was sent, and yet the girl didn’t get dragged over the coals.
So what do you think? Was this a good outcome for this situation? Think the girl got off too light? Think she got shafted?
