arrested for 20-second video recording
Some poor kid took a short camera clip of the Transformers movie, and was promptly hauled out and arrested. The theater (Regal Cinemas Ballston Common 12, in Arlington, Virginia) is pressing charges that could land this 19yo in prison for a year for the 20-second film clip. She recorded the clip to show her little brother, because she thought it would get him excited to go see the movie, too.
IMO the only good outcome of this is that the theater has lost years of revenue from this young woman because in addition to trying to put her in prison for a year, they have banned her from their theater for life. Hopefully her friends will boycott the theater on her behalf too.
If you have any thoughts about the ludicrous nature of this prosecution, feel free to share them with the theater at (703) 527-9730; Regal Cinemas at 877-TELLREGAL (1-877-835-5734); or the Arlington, VA, Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney at (703) 228-4410.
Her trial date is set for August 21. She's being prosecuted under a new Virginia statute that criminalizes using cameras in movie theaters.
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Cross-posted at derivative work
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