The saying goes that life imitates art far more often than art imitates life, and nowhere is that more apparent than in our favorite films. All those superhero flicks and larger-than-life characters require a little suspension of disbelief, but the ground rules of society stay more or less the same no matter how super our heroes get. We don’t really think about it while we’re chowing down on a bucket of popcorn in a dark theater, but most of our favorite characters would be spending most their time in prison if they pulled those big screen antics in real life.
Being charged with a crime when you didn’t know you were breaking the law can feel incredibly unjust, but some of our big screen heroes had to know what they were doing. Cracked hosted a contest where users were asked to “show us the rap sheets of pop culture’s most heroic figures.” Here are some of our favorites:
- Iron Man and Captain America are breaking the law every time they wear their uniforms together in New York. From Slate.com, “…according to the New York Penal Law 240.35(4), it is illegal to congregate in public with two or more people while each wearing a mask or any face covering which disguises your identity.”
- In the Dark Knight Trilogy (and most other Batman incarnations), the worlds’ greatest detective routinely collects evidence and apprehends dangerous suspects. Because he is working with the police department (remember the bat signal?), Batman would technically be considered an agent of the state, making all of his evidence inadmissible and allowing a whole host of super villains out of jail.
- The Ghostbusters, aside from the small detail of operating an unlicensed nuclear reactor and violating dozens of EPA regulations, is equipped with a siren. No vehicles other than authorized emergency vehicles are allowed to use a siren. Remember, those guys were private citizens who basically opened a cleaning business.
- Batman again (and this one’s a doozy). It turns out it’s illegal to arm a civil aircraft or drop anything from one. That would make the Batwing, or the Batplane, just oh-so-against the law. The billionaire playboy should be so busy spending millions defending these charges in court that he wouldn’t have time to break any more laws.
- Remember Storm from the X-Men? The one played by Halle Berry, who can manipulate the weather? She controls wind, rain, lightning- you name it. She’s also a walking, talking violation of the Geneva Convention, in which almost every country on the planet agreed that it’s illegal to weaponize the weather.
Filmmakers have the luxury of ignoring the law, but the rest of us are subject to rules and regulations every day. To err is human; but one mistake shouldn’t ruin the rest of your life. When you get in trouble with the law, you don’t have to face your charges alone. In fact, hiring an Annapolis criminal defense attorney can make everything about what you’re facing easier.
Just knowing there’s someone on your side that can get answers to the questions you have is a big load off. When you’re in trouble, don’t panic. Call Drew Cochran, Attorney at Law, at 410-271-1892, or reach out to my firm through our contact form.
Just remember: Keep Calm- and Call Drew.
