Ladies and gentlemen of the PDF, you have all now been called for jury duty

This trial is Bob vs the motion picture industry.

On Wednesday,  suspect Bob went to the Carmike Bayou 15 movie theater.
He bought a $7.50 matinee ticket to see one movie.
When that movie concluded,  he left that theater auditorium and entered
another one beside it and watched another movie without buying another movie ticket.
Additionally,  before he went into the movie theater,  he hid a 16 ounce bottle of coke in his pants and carried that into the theater with him to avoid having to pay the high price for a coke at the concession stand.  This time it was only the coke,  but Bob has confessed to taking in snacks and popcorn at other times.

Suspect Bob is charged with 2 counts of theft.

Bob is acting as his own attorney.  And seaoat represents the motion picture industry.

Here's the evidence presented by both sides in the trial.

First seaoat for the prosecution...

Bob,
Next time you sneak into a movie, reach into their cash box and steal some cash and grab some free milk duds......its not a bit different, and I could understand stealing if you were wanting and needed to steal, but how hard would have it been to simply pay for what you stole?

 I guess you might say I have tried to follow the golden rule which Bob used to tell me guided him.......(Bob should) go back and pay....

If a business asks you not to bring food or drink into their establishment.....and you do, that is wrong.  If there is no restriction, it is your choice, but they make their money like a gas station not from the gas or movie but from the retail sales

Next time somebody steals your lawnmower, you should hand them the car starter for the prius......after all once you start stealing why limit the scope.
Sorry, I have a friend who has a good job and goes to church every sunday and is a pillar of the community and he thinks what you did is ok......he sneaks food in and sneaks into shows without paying, and he rationalizes it the same way you have.........I simply will never understand this especially when these business owners are barely making it and must pass their costs to the rest of us honest patrons. Being cheap is one thing, but stealing or bringing food into a restaurant or a movie is wrong.

Now Bob for the defense...

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,  I was in the coin operated amusement machine business.  Sometimes my customers figured out how to make my Donkey Kong machines play for free by shuffling their feet on a carpet and then touching the front of the machine which sent a static charge to the coin switch which gave them a free game.
I didn't care.  Why?

1.  Because very few people were doing it so it had no significant impact on my revenues.
2.  I realized the people who were doing it were such cheapskates that they would not been paying to play my machine anyway.

And that's my defense here.  If I had not had the opportunity to see the 2nd movie free,  I would not have bought a ticket anyway.
And if I had not had the opportunity to take my own drink and snacks into the theater,  I would not have paid the astromically high concession prices either.

SO,  the theater isn't losing money because of what I did.  And it did get my money (the $7.50 ticket) as it does so many times because I'm an avid moviegoer.



Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,  it's now time for you to adjourn to the jury room and render your verdict (with your vote in the poll).
Your jury service is appreciated.

Mr Ichi wrote:Sorry Bob, I had to vote Guilty.  Seaoat's stunning logic and presentation of facts made me change my mind, Looks like it is  Camp 5 for you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Right now the jury appears to be deadlocked. One vote nay and one vote yay.
If a majority of the jury can't break the deadlock, we may be looking at a mistrial.

bob, im sorry but I had to vote you guilty because of "technical" reasons. Its the law.

Bob I was going to nullify the verdict based on having seaoat as a prosecutor but reluctantly I must agree, theft of services is a crime and I will recommend to the judge you make restitution and be set free on probation for time served.

Bob has now been charged with an additional crime. Jury manipulation and jury fraud.

Being that Bob was the suspect on trial, Bob had no right to be on the jury when he cast his vote in the poll. lol

Winter time and the cold helps people hide stuff going into a theatre so well!!!

PACEDOG#1 wrote:Winter time and the cold helps people hide stuff going into a theatre so well!!!

Yes I can get a WHOLE LOTS of food and drink inside a winter overcoat. I once got a whole Olive Garden takeout salad into the movie theater because of that.
Which is precisely why I hope we're entering into an ice age and not global warming. lol

Let's talk about the actual value of what Mr Bob stole by viewing a movie. A theater is showing a movie in a room. There are 12 people in the room watching the movie. A person walks into the room and watches the movie. This person had no intention of watching the movie. He would not have ever even thought about paying to view the movie. The only reason he stopped was that the door was open and there were no physical restraints (Tickets, Cards ) to hinder him. If fact, the show is so boring, he leaves the theater before the movie is finished. What did this cost the Theather?

Mr Ichi wrote:Let's talk about the actual value of what Mr Bob stole by viewing a movie.  A theater is showing a movie in a room.  There are 12 people in  the room watching the movie.  A person walks into the room  and watches the movie.  This person had no intention of watching the movie.  He would not have ever even thought about paying to view the movie. The only reason he stopped was that the door was open and there were no physical restraints (Tickets, Cards ) to hinder him.  If fact, the show is so boring, he leaves the theater before the movie is finished.   What did this cost the Theather?  

Bob wasn't trying to bankrupt the movie industry...he was just wandering around, maybe he got turned around or lost. After all, Bob left without viewing the entire movie. A good attorney will get this frivolous law suit thrown out....early Alzheimer's. As for the colddrink in his pants.....who's to say .Bob may have been icing a pulled groin muscle and forgot...early Alzheimer's.

As for the charges....I will have to vote guilty.

Mr Ichi wrote:Let's talk about the actual value of what Mr Bob stole by viewing a movie.  A theater is showing a movie in a room.  There are 12 people in  the room watching the movie.  A person walks into the room  and watches the movie.  This person had no intention of watching the movie.  He would not have ever even thought about paying to view the movie. The only reason he stopped was that the door was open and there were no physical restraints (Tickets, Cards ) to hinder him.  If fact, the show is so boring, he leaves the theater before the movie is finished.   What did this cost the Theather?  

Excellent point,  Ichi.  
It cost the theater nothing.  When there is even just one paying customer in the auditorium,  the theater has exactly the same costs of exhibiting the movie regardless if Bob had or had not also entered that theater auditorium.

BUT,  in the interests of full disclosure and total fairness to this issue,
I will admit this.  What I did does cheat the movie production company out of about a dollar.

How?  Because had I not seen the 2nd movie in the theater,  I would have eventually paid $1.50 to rent the DVD from Redbox.  I will not do that after seeing the movie for free.
I say it cost the movie production company about a dollar,  because I'm figuring that's about the amount they would have received from the $1.50 DVD rental.

I don't take advantage because I feel guilty and don't like the feeling. I don't need a justice system to enforce it.

How about this for a second defense.

The hollywood movie business is just a bunch of liberal obama lovers who are spewing out pro-liberal propaganda.
So anytime we can screw them out of a dollar it's good for the country. lol

Bob wrote:How about this for a second defense.

The hollywood movie business is just a bunch of liberal obama lovers who are spewing out pro-liberal propaganda.
So anytime we can screw them out of a dollar it's good for the country. lol

There is no distinction in my sense of right or wrong... it's inside of me... not based on external stimuli.

Mr Ichi wrote:
Are there warning signs at the theater stating that you are libel for prosecution if you watch a extra movie or has that already been factored into their business model?

Ichi, where I made my mistake is being my own lawyer. I should have contracted you as my defense attorney because you have raised yet another excellent point.

There is absolutely nothing in that Carmike movie theater to inform me that what I did is prohibited. And that goes for either the auditorium jumping or taking in the snacks.
Which concludes me to believe that actually is their business model. Because if their patrons carrying in edibles in their pockets is prohibited, they would have signage to indicate that and they do not.
And if auditorium jumping was prohibited, they would have signage to indicate that and they do not.
So in the absence of anything to tell me both are prohibited, I don't believe any crime was even committed.

While I seem to have lost on the first jury verdict, your honor, I request an appeal based on incompetent legal representation. And this time I want Mr. Ichi as my attorney. lol

Bob is as innocent as new-driven snow. His free promotion of the theater and free reviews of both movies far outweigh the cost of a 2nd ticket. It's not like he was occupying a seat that might have been needed by a paying customer. As for the snacks, he's on a special diet. And CRS.

I think this is good evidence that the legal system is corrupt. I've been wrongfully convicted. lol

That feller dun it! I know he dun it! And I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that he was high on doobies when he dun it!

You already knew you were guilty... you just ignored your conscience. Damn... I sound judgmental... but you asked.

I never allow my kids to sneak in snacks or candy. I figured that if I taught them it was OK to break rules, I couldn't say much when they broke mine.

Sorry Bob, but I voted guilty. However, I'd still buy a "Free Bob" t-shirt to help fund your defense.   

I have to say this.  Even though so many voted agin me,  it does make me feel good that so many members of this forum have this uncompromising conviction against anything that can be defined as stealing.  
It would be a better world if everyone was like you.

Not only have you made yourself a target for Carmike, but you may have even agitated ... wait for it ...