From WUSA 9 in Washington, D.C.: Arlington Prosecutor: Movie Theater Pressured Me Into Action:
Arlington County’s top prosecutor says a movie theater chain pressured him into going after a woman who admits she recorded 20 seconds of the “Transformers” movie. Richard Trodden tells the Wired.com blog “Threat Level” that Regal Theatrer [sic] Group urged him to go after 19-year-old Jhannet Sejas.
Sejas was arrested last month at the Regal Theater at the Ballston Common Mall in Arlington. She admits she recorded 20 seconds of the “Transformers” movie with her camera. Sejas says she wanted to show her younger brother a small part of the movie.
Trodden says Regal wanted to make an example out of Sejas. Talking with the blog Threat Level, he says Regal “wanted to make sure the message gets out… This was kind of trying to address the concerns of the theatre people, and the fact that it was not an outrageous crime.” He pursued charges of filming a potion picture in a movie house against Sejas. She pleaded guilty. Trodden stresses that Sejas broke the law, but says “it was not an egregious case.”
As part of a plea deal, Sejas will have the conviction removed from her record within a year, provided she has no more run-ins with the law.
Regal Cinemas did not respond to Threat Level’s requests for comment.
Too bad no one is running against this idiot.
Are you elected by the people of Arlington or Regal Entertainment Group? The last time I checked it was the people of Arlington.
Makes me wonder if you received a political donation from Regal…
I don’t understand people. She broke the law. She should have been prosecuted just like anyone else breaking the law. She received leniency within her sentence, which is where people should get a break. She has one year of having to behave, big deal. It’s appropriate to the crime. The point is, however, that is was a crime. Otherwise, where’s the deterrent and what is the point of laws?