August 21, 2019

"The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office can’t or won’t say why, but the criminal case against the man who allegedly stole Frances McDormand’s Best Actress Oscar in 2018 is over..."

"... at least for now. Terry Bryant was up against a felony grand theft charge for lifting the Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star’s statuette at the post-ceremony Governors Ball. But that all went away Tuesday in what seemed like a Keystone Kops move in Los Angles Superior Court. 'The District Attorney’s Office today told the court that we are unable to proceed at this time,' a spokesperson for D.A. Jackie Lacey said. 'The defense made a motion to dismiss the case, and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta dismissed it,' the D.A’s office added. 'We don’t have further comment.' They don’t have further comment for an incident that was captured by photographs and put on Facebook by a tux-wearing Bryant himself, who has always insisted on his innocence in the admittedly odd incident."

Deadline reports. 

Doesn't seem anything like the Keystone Kops.

20 comments:

henry said...

Did the man out act her?

tim in vermont said...

It seems like there is a lot more missing in that story than just the Oscar.

TML said...

McDormand. Yer tag needs fixin'

Ryan said...

Seems like a waste of prosecutorial resources in a harm no foul situation.

Fernandinande said...

It seems like there is a lot more missing in that story than just the Oscar.

As with Smollette and thousands of other cases where criminal charges are dropped over and over and over until the guy does a mass shooting of cops, this decision was probably the result of the "most crudely primitive form of collectivism".

Fernandinande said...

On the other hand, she shouldn't have gotten any prizes for that movie.

Howard said...

I hope you people appreciate how hard Ann is having to work developing content for you.

MadisonMan said...

From the article: stealing the quickly recovered statuette

So, he stole it for a stunt, and she got it back. Why was he being prosecuted? I agree with Ryan.

Freder Frederson said...

grand theft seems a bit over the top. While an Oscar might have a lot of sentimental value, the actual cash value is probably not very great, especially for one stolen in a such a public fashion. Who the hell is going to buy it?

Ann Althouse said...

"McDormand. Yer tag needs fixin'"

Thanks. Okay. I fixed it. But it looked better with the "o," more like "diamond."

My name goes here. said...

The movie was good, but it wasn't steal the Oscar of the Best Actress good.

I am not Laslo

Wince said...

Althouse said...
Doesn't seem anything like the Keystone Kops.

More like the Three Stooges... As in being "Doormanned"

Hassan Ben Sober: With that Oscar I could of quit my job as the Doorman at the Oasis Hotel!

Moe: Do you mean to tell me you're only a doorman?"

Shemp: Well, there's the door, man.

AZ Bob said...

So, he stole it for a stunt, and she got it back. Why was he being prosecuted? I agree with Ryan.

The crime of theft requires the prosecutor to prove an intent to permanently deprive the victim of the property.

He didn't conceal the Oscar under his coat. He moved freely among the crowd showing it off as if he was a winner. He never made a move for the door. The jury would have taken minutes before returning a verdict of not guilty.

buwaya said...

Keystone Kops in management-speak (our neck of the woods anyway) is when multiple objectives/projects start impeding each other, even if they have generally similar goals. The Kops wackily beat each other over the head with their billy clubs while all are pursuing the same criminal.

Applies in spades to security and regulatory compliance things, where doing X prevents Y, etc.

Wilbur said...

"The crime of theft requires the prosecutor to prove an intent to permanently deprive the victim of the property."

It depends on the state. In Florida, the theft law reads "either temporarily or permanently". F.S. 812.014

Yancey Ward said...

From what I remember, this wasn't a true theft- it was a stunt- the "thief" didn't try to conceal the statuette, nor did he try to abscond with it. This was a case that never should have been brought in a criminal court.

Yancey Ward said...

Sort of like Kramer and the Tony.

AZ Bob said...

Intent to temporarily deprive is statutorily applied to auto theft.

Sam L. said...

I've never before even heard the name of that movie.

RobinGoodfellow said...

Blogger Yancey Ward said...
Sort of like Kramer and the Tony.


Maybe they just should have had the guy fire Raquel Welch and let him keep it?