Re:Unconstitutional Sentencing? (Score 1)

It comes down to this: He knew it was illegal. Making unauthorized copies of videos (I highly doubt that his video camera was making an "authorized" copy) is illegal. It's not debatable. The punishment? I wouldn't call a year in jail for this kind of theft illegal, hell, the kid will (most likely) get a slap on the wrist, and a year's probation if it's his first conviction. Laws aren't made to be challenged, they're made to be followed. We may (or may not) agree with them, but they're not there to be broken just because we think we have the right to do so. Doing so (breaking them) makes us guilty. There is no excuse for "not knowing" this specific law, as it's plastered everywhere, from VHS (for those still stuck in the dark ages) to DVD. Even on DVD, you can't get past the "warning, this blah blah blah" screen, for legal reasons. The kid screwed up. Will it be his last time? That all depends on what is done here. If he's just given a slap on the wrist, most likely he will. If he's given time to think about what he did, then most likely he won't.