Dolemite wrote:
Intent is not always required, which is why we have terms like 'criminal negligence,' or in plain speak, 'you were too stupid to think about the possible consequences of your actions.' Many of the arguments I've heard have been, 'It was a cartoon character!' Well, kind of. It was a bunch of LEDs with the wires visibly exposed and again, it was an inside joke limited to a small subset of the population.

I just don't see it in the same light. There are three possible scenarios here.
1. They're bombs.
2. They're art.
3. They're bombs that are also art.

In this case as they have a character on them that clearly resembles something from a video game, you have to eliminate option number 1.

Either they are art, or they are bombs that are also art.

Who places bombs that are also art? Certainly not Al'Queda. They are not that silly, so everyone yapping about a post 9/11 environment is on the wrong side of this.

Do people sometimes do this? As Rattle pointed out, yes, it can happen, but the kind of people who do this are seriously mentally ill. Its extremely rare, and its not a sign of the times, as mental illness knows no geopolitical context.

Either these police were dealing with one of the most bizarre criminal masterminds of all time, or its just art. There are four things that you can do in this situation.

1. Assume that the signs are just art, and leave them alone.
2. Assume that the signs are just art, but pull them down because they aren't supposed to be there.
3. Assume that the signs are just art, but destroy them anyway out of an abundance of caution.
4. Assume you are dealing with one of the most bizarre criminal masterminds of all time and act accordingly.

Based on the retoric that was coming out of the Police and the Government in Boston, its absolutely clear that they chose door number 4. I cannot sympathize. I can understand choosing door number 3, but that means accepting that the people who put the signs up didn't mean any harm. I don't think its criminally negligent to assume that people won't think they living in a comic book story. These things were up all around the country for weeks prior to this incident.

Now, placing these signs around is illegal, and the people who did it knew that it was illegal. Given that the police did get involved, its not unreasonable to charge them with the crime that they actually committed (which, frankly, is the most harmless sort of vandalism possible given that the things can simply be plucked right off the wall).

Thats not what is going here. To quote Noteworthy, they are still calling these "hoax devices," as if they still don't understand what happened. They are charging these people with the same crime they'd be charged with had they purposefully operated a bomb hoax. Putting a bunch of signs up that someone confuses for a bomb is not the same thing as putting a bunch devices up that are designed purposefully to be confused with a bomb.

RE: cbs4boston.com - Hoax Devices Creating Gridlock In Boston