That zombie kid

[yendi]

Any number of you have linked, with appropriate outrage, to articles about the kid who wrote a zombie story and got arrested because his grandparents, the Winchester County police (including at least one subhuman named Steven Caudill), judge, and prosecutors are all inbred assholes who spend their time felching rabid greyhounds instead of, say, doing their jobs.

robyn_ma has one of the best ideas I've heard in response: Wouldn't it be cool if George Romero, Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg, and other famous zombie creators got together and did a zombie anthology book, the proceeds of which would go to pay this kid's bail?

Of course, having read Toe Tags, I'm not sure I want Romero attempting fiction again, but otherwise, I love the idea (and I'd add David Schow as a must-have author for any such anthology).

Comments

[unrepentant.livejournal.com]

I think even the poor independent schmoes who made Shawn of The Dead could afford to get this poor kid out of jail.

Very good idea on your part, though!

[rubian77.livejournal.com]

Dude. That would so kick ass, even if the fiction sucked.

[clawfoot.livejournal.com]

Flight! Man, I haven't played that game in years, and I still recognized the art right off the bat.

[clawfoot.livejournal.com]

I think it would be coolest if they all the stories were specifically about zombies rising from the earth to right grave injustices against freedom of speech.

[rubian77.livejournal.com]

hell yeah. There are some new cards with good art, but the older sets had more flair.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Either that or someone could build a website to which Romero and other zombie masters could contribute things. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost could do a little audio mp3 thing, 'An Untold Story of Shaun and Undead Ed.' Romero could provide a little sneak-peek footage from Land of the Dead. Skipp and Spector could do something. You'd access the contents of the website with a $10 donation. A $25 donation would get you access plus a T-shirt. $50 or more, maybe something signed by one or more of the above.

*is in the wrong profession*

[correspondguy.livejournal.com]

(Why is it that I feel the need to argue the other side of every freakin' question? Oh, yeah, I'm in Law School.)

Here's the bit - we only have his word that it's just a story. And, um, he's in jail and committed a crime if it's not. Now, I think it probably is as well, and I find the idea that writing about things that haven't happened and keeping the writings in your residence could be a crime offensive, but there is a concern. We can't assume that it's not a threat, not without reading the "fiction" at issue.

[stress-rash.livejournal.com]

Here's the bit - we only have his word that it's just a story.

Hello? Presumption of innocence? And what about violation of privacy? The story was in his journal, ergo his private papers. This case shouldn't have made it to arrest.

[correspondguy.livejournal.com]

Remember, I agree that this is proably a horseshit charge. But those two factors do not necessarily mean that this charge is horseshit.

First, presumption of innocence is a legal fiction that entitles you to due process. The police, prosecutors, and the general public can reach conclusions about you all they want. In fact, an ethical prosecutor will be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt before he or she files a complaint.

Second, he does not own or rent the house, I believe. If he doesn't, the people who do can consent to a search of his belongings. It's also not clear whether they searched themselves, which is also legal, if unethical.

Again, I am very uncomfortable with the situation, but that doesn't mean that it's necessarily a horrible miscarriage of justice.

[sdaisyk.livejournal.com]

It was only half way through reading this article that I realized that it was from my local news station (well, local the nine months I'm at school anyways). Let me just say that as an adopted Kentuckian that this is par for course and crazy at the same time. Told a lot of my fellow liberal arts (and politically liberal) friends and they thought it was hilarious. Thanks for giving my social theory class something to talk about today!
~S