As predicted. 

Seriously, $540? I'm sure that includes court costs, but WTF?  It's a $25 ticket in NYC, and I think a $50 ticket here in Hollywood.

Our national nightmare has ended.

@IvanNF posted:

Seriously, $540? I'm sure that includes court costs, but WTF?  It's a $25 ticket in NYC, and I think a $50 ticket here in Hollywood.

This is a Federal charge. What's odd to me is that supposedly with people around who it is said offered him a drink, nothing leaked as to what really happened from any eyewitnesses. Tony Mautone is a good guy, I think from West Orange & he had to crack a joke.

Just curious - were the fans who gave him the drink charged with Consumption in a Closed Area as well?

Artist impression of him from the court appearance!

@thundercrack posted:

Just curious - were the fans who gave him the drink charged with Consumption in a Closed Area as well?

As I said in my post above, a lot has not come out. The ranger said "the bottle was empty." Where? At Bruce's feet? How far. In a trash can? Who else was around, supposedly these fans were around, was one of them holding this bottle, were any of them questioned. Tony Mautone is a part time Federal Magistrate, that's one step below a Fed District Court judge. Supposed to be a real good guy, I think I saw him around in my NJ courthouse days, he is still allowed to practice law, but probably not criminal.

I think it a fair assumption that the citing officer was, to put it moderately, no fan of Bruce.  
That no other individuals were cited, I again presume that Bruce was singled out purposefully while any other ‘criminal activities’ by other parties were intentionally overlooked.
As for witnesses or testimonials, I am also assuming that Bruce’s legal representatives were comfortably sure of the (actual eventual) outcome, and for many varied excellent political as well as social reasons did not want to bring (nor need) any other witnesses, and decided it best not to portray any acrimony toward the badged bunghole ranger * (*my interpretive description) who brought the charges.  

So the actual final result is that someone worth well north of $200 million dollars was fined $540 for something that almost all of us have done at least one time in our life or another - consumed alcohol in a place where it was prohibited - except for our European brethren, many of whom at age 12 can swig wine or beer with mom or dad at a Mediterranean or Scandinavian or North Sea beach without any penalty or repercussion, save a potential headache, or sand in their sippie-cups.

I feel confident that a prominent former lead singer of The Pogues is reading the story and laughing his 14 teeth off over the absurdity of it all.

This was all worked out between Bruce's lawyer and the prosecutor handling this, so there would never be any witness testimony, this was an arraignment hearing, if it were to be contested it would have gotten a trial date. What I meant is why no one posted anything on any FB page or discussion board saying they were there and not a peep appeared in any newspaper or website.

@thundercrack posted:

Artist impression of him from the court appearance!

Cover of his next album!

The real question is....is the Jeep ad back online?

Yes!! Jeep has announced that the commercial has been "Unpaused"