Jailed for a 5 cent theft

[WanderngFool]

This example is a little more gray. Many places like that provide charging to draw customers. What this guy did was steal electricity from the school district, which is NOT there to provide charging for cars.

I agree. Restaurants are installing outlets next to tables as a convenience to customers. "Legacy outlets" that were there before laptops became common... Well? Customers can't be expected to know when the outlets were installed so I suppose proximity gives people the right to use them for charging something small like a cellphone or even laptop.

 

[layoutshooter]

I agree. Restaurants are installing outlets next to tables as a convenience to customers. "Legacy outlets" that were there before laptops became common... Well? Customers can't be expected to know when the outlets were installed so I suppose proximity gives people the right to use them for charging something small like a cellphone or even laptop.

Proximity does not give customers the "right" to use them. What has happened is that so many places provide the service that customers, rightly or wrongly, just assume that is why those outlets are there.

 

[WanderngFool]

Proximity does not give customers the "right" to use them. What has happened is that so many places provide the service that customers, rightly or wrongly, just assume that is why those outlets are there.

Societies develop norms over time. It's considered ok to use an outlet next to a table, largely because it's so commonplace. Does that make it right? I dunno, that's over my head, but it's certainly a defensible action.

Charging your car by plugging in to someone's outlet without asking isn't an accepted norm. It's a ridiculously small amount of money for the coppers panties to get in a bunch over though.

 

[layoutshooter]

Societies develop norms over time. It's considered ok to use an outlet next to a table, largely because "everyone else does it". Does that make it right? I dunno, that's over my head, but it's certainly a defensible action.

Charging your car by plugging in to someone's outlet without asking isn't an accepted norm. It's a ridiculously small amount of money for the coppers panties to get in a bunch over though.

As I said, jail was overboard. A $500 fine would have been the better way to go. It is not a good thing to ignore theft, it sends the wrong message when we do that. Mooching should be looked down upon as well. People should expect too, and we should expect, people to pay their own way. No one is entitled to what they did not pay for. This guy is a low down moocher and a theif and should be treated as such. Maybe 500 hours of shoveling "stuff" at the police horse barn, if they have a mounted division, would work. He has to be made to live up to his adult responsibilities.

Let one bum get away with it and soon there will be millions mooching off of us. Oh, wait, we already have that. Time to buy more shovels!

 

[WRAII]

Should someone making out a check at a grocery store be arrested for theft of ink if the pen came from their workplace

 

[Turtle]

Should someone making out a check at a grocery store be arrested for theft of ink if the pen came from their workplace

I dunno, but I do think it's interesting that after signing up a year and a half ago, you finally chose this thread, in the Soapbox, to make your first posts.

As for truck stops, for years they advertised electrical outlets in every restaurant booth so you can charge your laptop or cell phone as an amenity.

 

[Pilgrim]

If he had plugged up to an outlet at a private individual's residence it could be called "theft". However, if this guy is a resident of DeKalb county I'll bet some of his tax dollars are allocated to that school to pay for their electricity. Sounds like some bumpkin cops have too much time on their hands.

 

[layoutshooter]

If he had plugged up to an outlet at a private individual's residence it could be called "theft". However, if this guy is a resident of DeKalb county I'll bet some of his tax dollars are allocated to that school to pay for their electricity. Sounds like some bumpkin cops have too much time on their hands.

In that case I will pull up to any diesel pump on a military base and fill up. I paid for it. Why do I not think that is how this works? It only COULD be called theft if he plugged into someone's house without asking? I guess I don't have to buy ammo for my 5.56MM either. Just head down to the armory and get what I need! HEY! I LIKE this idea!

 

[Pilgrim]

The school is a public facility. The guy's kid was using the tennis court for practice. Suppose there is a water fountain next to the tennis courts; should the guy be arrested for getting a drink? Also, there's an element of illegal search and seizure with the cop entering the guy's car without a warrant. I'll bet this guy winds up with a sizable settlement from the county after his lawyer has his day in court.

 

[xiggi]

I doubt he gets any settlement. I must have missed where it said the cop entered the car. I'm not sure anyone thinks the arrest was warrented most are claiming it to be extreme. Like Cheri I think the guy is a cheapskate and likes to use other peoples electric to charge his car. Something tells me he does this every tennis practice and someone got tired of it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using EO Forums mobile app

 

[Turtle]

I must have missed where it said the cop entered the car.

"In the police report, the officer said he could not find the vehicle’s owner but found the car doors unlocked and picked up a piece of mail on the car floor showing a Decatur address."

The school is a public facility. The guy's kid was using the tennis court for practice. Suppose there is a water fountain next to the tennis courts; should the guy be arrested for getting a drink?

The low-down, good-for-nothing perp, Kaveh Kamooneh, addressed that very issue with police. Theft by taking without consent. He argues (and his lawyers certainly will) implied consent, both with the water fountain and the electricity. There are water fountains in public places and public and private buildings where you don't need to get consent to use them, just as there are electrical outlets in the same places where people routinely charge their laptops and cell phones without explicit consent.

Also, there's an element of illegal search and seizure with the cop entering the guy's car without a warrant. I'll bet this guy winds up with a sizable settlement from the county after his lawyer has his day in court.

I don't think he'll get any kind of a settlement, either, but his case is likely to set a precedent, as he's the first ever to be arrested for stealing electricity for his car, and it's an issue that could come up more and more with electric cars. Look up the KW hour rate for your electricity at home. He was plugged into a 110 outlet, which draws about 1 KW per hour. That's less than a dime for an hour. Most likely we'll see high-dollar devices with fancy locks, at taxpayer expense of course, to prevent electrical theft, although a simple sign would suffice.

But as far as illegal search and seizure, all the police need is probable cause, which means police must have some facts or evidence to believe you’re involved in criminal activity. A car illegally plugged into an electrical outlet qualifies as illegal activity, and the facts and evidence of it being plugged in at the time satisfies that.

Here's the video of his interview with the local news, and what they police had to say about it.

 

[jimby82]

I just can't help but wonder if Billie Joe Jim Bob had his portable 13" color TV out on the tailgate of his pich-um-up truck, plugged into the outlet watching the SEC play some football, if he would have received the same treatment?

 

[WRAII]

I dunno, but I do think it's interesting that after signing up a year and a half ago, you finally chose this thread, in the Soapbox, to make your first post.

I was a lurker for probably 2 years before I joined. I'm kinda shy, old, and computers are hard to deal with. If I were that guy that got arrested, I'd have to see that cop arrested too. I bet he does something wrong, like watering his plant behind him with company water, using a gov. ink pen off duty, or turning on a heater under his desk or air conditioner too low on a hot day. Good golly, where's it gonna stop. I know, after everybody is in jail.

 

[Ragman]

I'm kinda shy, old, and computers are hard to deal with.

Don't be shy, join in, we don't bite. Ok, maybe turtle does.

As far as computers being hard to deal with, Can't help ya there.

 

[layoutshooter]

A thief AND a moocher. What a low down piece of dog doo doo. Got's no use for them's kind.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I agree. Restaurants are installing outlets next to tables as a convenience to customers. "Legacy outlets" that were there before laptops became common... Well? Customers can't be expected to know when the outlets were installed so I suppose proximity gives people the right to use them for charging something small like a cellphone or even laptop.

Nice idea there... charge your car while eating dinner.

 

[cheri1122]

Am I the only one who has actually asked permission to plug in my laptop in a truck stop restaurant? [The outlet wasn't exactly at the booth, lol].
This guy is just like those who plug something into an exterior outlet at any business: the outlet is there for the use of the business itself, not the customers.
Says the truck driver who plugged in a curling iron in the ladies' bathroom - but that was inside!

 

[runrunner]

Just a thought. How about maybe it is theft if the school complains to the police,because he was warned not to do it but continued. If someone cuts through your yard, no signs present can you have them arrested for trespass,would a reasonable law enforcement officer make the arrest, I think not,but I think he would warn the person not to do it again or it would result in trespass charges because owner said stay out of there yard. This officer if he was reasonable would have ask if the person had permission to charge his car and if not then issue a warning and not just file charges. Sounds reasonable to me.

 

[moose]

This have actually happened to me last winter.
i delivered a Bobcat load into a large dealer, early in the morning.
it was cold & windy.
the electric pole i was parked next to, had outlets used for block heaters.
knowing that there's no place to park within 20 mil. i asked the guy that drove those cats off the rig if i can park for a while & plug into the pole electricity so i do not need to run my Generator while waiting for my next load.
he smiled and said yes.
an hour later, there's a bang on the door, & a scary/upset/ugly/large guy is standing there.
"did you ask permission to plug into the pole?", he ask making it clear that he will make me his criminal of the day.
"well, yes sir", i replied, "Jerry there told me i can do so".
i could literally hear him swallowing his pride.
{sorry, Jerry...}.
since then i always ask!
plugging the generator in, saves me a lot of money & noise, so it is very tempting.
just last week, i camped overnight @ a costumer. there was a perfectly good outdoor outlet, but since there was noone to ask, i did not plugged it in.

 

[layoutshooter]

IF there were outlets I could use, I would ask, even offer to pay for the electricity. I have all this cool shore power stuff, cost me a grand more when I bought this APU and I have yet to use it anywhere except my house. So far, not worth the money.

As for the thief/moocher, how about 1500 paper cuts?