During the movie “The Blues Brothers” (a classic IMHO) The Blues Brothers end up arrested at the end of the film. What I’m wondering is what they would be charged with. Initially they flee from police when Elwood has an outstanding traffic warrant (at least that is how I would interpret “Parking Violations 116, Moving Violations 52” and the flashing message “Arrest driver, Impound Vehicle” on SCMODS (the police computer system), during the flight they cause massive damage to a shopping mall, so I assume thats the beginning of a huge number of felony vandalism charges. It is discovered he falsified his address on his license as “1060 West Addison” (Wrigley Field) I’m sure that’s a crime but not sure what the charge would be. Jake fails to make contact with his parole officer, as well as associating with known felons (his brother and Matt “Guitar” Murphy at minimum assuming none of the rest of the band have records) which would violate his parole on Armed Robbery charges. During the Nazi Rally they drive through the assembled Nazi’s, while none are hurt I imagine that would at least be reckless driving if not assault with a deadly weapon. Next the band runs out on their bar tab but only owing $100 I assume that would be petty theft. They steal a public address system and mount it on their car (probably illegal in itself). Elwood steals windshield wipers and fan belts from a gas station and pretends to be a gas station attendant and charges Twiggy $96 to fill up the tank on her car (this is in 1980, she also lets him keep the change from a $100 bill) so another couple of misdemeanor petty theft charges. They enter the Palace Hotel Ballroom for their concert by breaking a window and going in through the ladies room (breaking and entering?). They then lead police on a 106 mile car chase at extremely high speeds, all the way into Chicago, including traveling Lower Wacker Drive at 118 mph (multiple reckless driving counts?). They drive through Richard H. Daley Plaza with pedestrians diving for cover (reckless driving again? or do the potential victims raise the charges to something more substantial?) and drive through the courthouse lobby (Felony vandalism again?). Over the course of the movie a record setting 80+ police cars wreck, however the Brothers never once force one off the road, ram or even sideswipe any, so I’m not sure if they could face charges for that. It’s possible they could be blamed for the actions of the ‘mystery woman’ which include a rocket attack on the entrance to Elwood’s flophouse hotel, the complete demolition of the hotel the next morning, a flamethrower attack that detonates a propane tank and blows up it and a telephone booth all of which leave The Blues Brothers and all other bystanders unharmed.
What I’d like here is suggestions for any potential charges I have missed, and maybe some idea of the proper class of the crimes listed by myself and others, anyone want to participate?
Actually they were paid $200 for the gig, and drank $300 worth of beer, so that’s just $100 they ran out on. It was 1980 and that was more money but I don’t know if I’d call it ‘massive’
I would think that you could even stretch and call gluing the gas pedal down on a vehicle attempted murder.
And of course, if this wasn’t basically a comedy/fantasy, there would be dozens of police officers in the hospital or dead, and probably a lot of bystanders too (there’s no way they could drive through a packed mall at those speeds and not injure people).
So if this was real life, they’d be locked away probably forever.
A better question is why the rest of the Blues Brothers Band are in jail with them? What did they do?
I figure the band went up for being accessories to the crimes, aiding and abetting, conspiracy, and the all important “We need them for the finale” in the first degree.
Nope. He traded the original Bluesmobile for a microphone - understandably. Perhaps it’s the one he uses in the car. The PA was stolen from a public beach or park. They even show Elwood heading to the pole it’s on with a toolbox in hand.
They never make good on the $1400 IOU at Ray’s Music Exchange, but that would be a civil case. Also, they default on the music producer who gives them $10,000 cash to make records, and never pay income tax on that money. Also civil cases.
Attempted human trafficking? “Your women. I want to buy your women. The little girl, your daughters . . . sell them to me. Sell me your children.”
I seem to recall that when the producer gave them the money at the end, the brothers took half in order to pay the taxes on the orphanage and told him to split the other half between the band and Ray’s music store.
Would that super police pileup sequence result in a single charge, or could they be charged for multiple wrecks? If the state could charge them individually they’d be facing dozens of reckless driving and endangerment charges from that scene alone.
Not in the theatrical cut, but in the extended/deleted scenes, Elwood stuffs his briefcase full of aeresol cans when he quits his job at the factory (more theft). Later, outside the Palace Hotel (also deleted), he fills a bunch of cop cars’ tires with some sort of heat-activated pressurizer or something - I forget the explanation - causing the tires to explode when the cops give chase (more vandalism).
Side note: Presumably Elwood served 17 years for his crimes - the original film was 1980, and he’s released at the beginning of the sequel in 1997. All the band members, not surprisingly, are free by then, and Jake must have gotten out sometime earlier as well, as Elwood is expecting Jake to come pick him up.
