Jailhouse Rock: Lawsuits, Stupidity From The Edge

Then when the coppers see the piece, they come arrest him. It probably went down like this: "Surprise! You're under arrest, moron..." Anyway, the biker gets pissed off and decides to sue the TV station that put him up to it. From jail.

I know what you're all thinking: Only in the US-of-A can this happen, and probably in that mis-guided place known as California. Guess again, this ignoramus hails from...

Osaka, Japan, Dec. 4 (Kyodo News Service)An imprisoned motorcycle gang leader filed a 23million yen ($207,000 USD --MO) lawsuit against an Osaka TV station Monday, alleging hereceiveda prison term for illegal road stunts that were staged for a program bythetelevision company.

The 22-year-old man filed the suit with the Osaka District Court againstTVOsaka Co., the program's director and others, saying he was convicted ofviolating the Road Traffic Law because he organized and took part in thestunts in the summer of 1999 at the request of the director.

Lawyers representing the plaintiff said TV Osaka violated basic humanrightsethics rules of the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters inJapanby shooting a program which covered "a crime whose scale and time wereprearranged."

According to the suit, the motorcycle gang leader was asked by thedirectorto arrange a group ride in July and August last year that would becovered bythe TV crew.The man, who was on probation at that time for a conviction for recklessdriving, reluctantly accepted the director's request and asked anothermotorcycle gang to do the stunt, the suit said.

The TV crew shot the motorcycle gang's wild and noisy passage throughnighttime streets, in which the plaintiff took part, in August last yearandbroadcast it the following month. The man was subsequently arrested andreceived a four-month jail term in May.

He is still in jail as his probation on the previous conviction wasrevoked.

Police also sent papers to the prosecutors accusing the TV director ofencouraging the gang to violate the traffic law, but the Osaka DistrictPublic Prosecutors Office decided not to indict him.

Hiroshi Oike, a TV Osaka public relations official, said the stationsees noreason for the lawsuit.

Doesn't this whole mess strike you as hilarious? Or are we MOians warped?