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Two more teens, ages 15 and 16 have been charged in last week's brutal, shocking attack against Mercedes Michaels, 17. Each has been charged with one count of aggravated battery in juvenile court. However, it doesn't look like there will be charges against the young man who captured the attack on video via his cell phone. Sauk Village police Detective Robert Grossman said of him, "The guy took the video is not affiliated with either of these groups of people. He just happened to be there." Grossman added that there is still at least one more girl involved in the attack that police are looking for. [Sun-Times]
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A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant at the Red Orchid Theatre--it made Crains
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I know it's just TV, but the whole premise of the very last Seinfeld show was how the group went to jail because they just stood there and watched a fat guy get robbed and they didn't do anything...I think they even took video, if I'm remembering correctly.
So, is it legal in Illinois to watch a crime and do nothing to stop it?
"So, is it legal in Illinois to watch a crime and do nothing to stop it?"
I should hope so. You're crossing a dangerous line when you're compelling people to take action they may not want to take. Yeah, it's a bit disgusting to stand back and videotape a beating without even calling the cops, but I'd hate to think we're going to force people to be good citizens.
So then how is this different than leaving the scene of an accident?
I'm just curious, because this is how that whole Seinfeld show played out. They got sent to jail for just standing there and doing nothing. Is this art imitating life or were they just making it all up?
The only time leaving the scene of an accident is illegal is when you're actually involved in the accident. If you're just a bystander, you have no legal obligation to stick around.
It's been a long time since I saw it, but I don't think the Seinfeld episode had any relation to reality at all ... which is part of why I thought it was a horrible episode. They were trying to make some satirical statement on just how worthless and antisocial the characters were by having their disconnected apathy become so extreme that they're thrown in jail, but it went way too extreme and far out. I thought it was a stupid ending to an otherwise decent series.
Heh heh...I think I'm one of the approximately 10 people in the country who thought that the ending to that show was brilliant. They totally deserved to be in jail.
In fact, when I watch the show now all I can think of is what incredible assholes they all are. They seem to get worse with each viewing. I used to be a huge fan of the show, but all I can focus on now is the incredible douchebaggery of the characters.
But back to the post, it's good that this guy got the video for proof of what happened, but hard to believe that he wouldn't have called the police first. I find this phenomenom of people whipping their cell phone cameras out at every opportunity to be frightening.
It's like this is the first thing that comes to mind now: getting this on film and maybe I'll be famous, not calling for help. In the immortal words of Marvin Gaye: What's Going On?
It is interesting to watch that show now with some perspective. Yeah, they were absolutely despicable people, and yet viewers loved them. Which I think feeds right into what you talk about now with the tendency of people to see disaster and immediately think, "Ooo, I can get on Youtube!" To be over-analytical for a moment, Seinfeld characters were merely a reflection of what we were becoming.
Even so, the show still cracks me up sometimes.