Bogus criminal charges

[CyberRaptor]

Has anyone noticed the rather loosely applicable and dubious nature of many charges filed in police reports? For instance, I recently read a news article in which a man was charged with possession of a "weapon of mass destruction" which consisted of...well...a sawed-off shotgun. Apparently, they've mistaken him for a character in a 3d Realms video game. Also, there was the more well known incident in which actor Russell Crowe was charged with "criminal possession of a weapon" after he threw a phone (that's right...a phone) at someone. He was also charged with 2nd degree assault, the "actual" crime that was committed.

I've also observed that the police will often tack on a "Terroristic Threats" charge to just about any arrest they make. Lately, it seems to be as abused as the "vagrancy" charge used as an excuse to jail people in the 1930's, or the accusations of treason and espionage (by supposed "Communist" affiliation) during the Red Scare.

[Admiral Donutz]

I have heard of silly charges and people being acused of violance (terrorism) too way too fast (read Peth's thread in the pub) but no such things as you said. It is expected though that with the big war on terror people will be prosecuted or suead for the most rediclious sort of things.