Want to Recreate the Movie Speed? Be Prepared for Serious Prison Time
The 1994 action film Speed was one of the movies that defined the 1990s, launching Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock into mega-stardom.
Most people see the film’s plot of a police officer and a civilian trying to stop a bus armed with a bomb from exploding as simple blockbuster summer fare. However, the film contains crimes that have actually occurred in real life and can result in serious prison time.
Let’s take a look at some of the crimes committed in the movie Speed…
Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction (United States Code 18 Section 2332(a))
The film begins with Howard Payne (played by Dennis Hopper) detonating a bomb in a Los Angeles skyscraper. Payne also rigs his own home and two city buses with explosives, setting the stage for the film.
Under U.S. Code 18 Section 2332(a), you could be charged with a felony when you use, attempt to use or conspire to use a weapon of mass destruction against:
- A national of the United States while the national is outside of the United States;
- Any person within the United States; or
- Any property that is owned, leased or used by the United States or by any department or agency of the United States, whether the property is within or outside of the United States.
Use of a weapon of mass destruction under U.S. Code 18 Section 2332(a) is punishable by life in federal prison. If death occurred as a result of the incident, you could face the death penalty.1
Carjacking (California Penal Code Section 215)
After learning that Payne rigged a city bus with explosives that will detonate if its speed goes below 50 miles per hour, police officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) tracks down the bus on the freeway. Traven carjacks a man driving a Jaguar convertible in order to keep pace with the bus and eventually leap into it.
Under California Penal Code Section 215, it is illegal to take the motor vehicle of another person against his/her will with the intent to permanently or temporarily deprive the person of the motor vehicle using force or fear.
Under California Penal Code Section 215, carjacking is a felony punishable by up to nine years in state prison and will count as a “strike” against you under California’s Three Strikes Law. Your prison sentence could increase if you were armed with a firearm or assault weapon or actually used a deadly weapon during the carjacking.
Kidnapping (California Penal Code Sections 207, 208, 209, and 210)
Eventually, all of the passengers are rescued from the bus. In a last ditch effort, Payne disguises himself as a police officer and kidnaps Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock) to hold her hostage for a ransom.
Under California Penal Code Section 207, it is illegal to steal, take, hold, detain or arrest another person and move the person into another country, state, county or part of another county without the person’s consent using force or fear. Kidnapping is a felony punishable by up to eight years in state prison and will count as a “strike” under California’s Three Strikes Law.
A more serious form of kidnapping, known as “aggravated kidnapping,” can be charged when you:
- Use force, fear or fraud upon a child under the age of 14;
- Kidnap another person with a demand for ransom;
- Cause the victim to suffer serious bodily injury or death;
- Kidnap another person while violating California’s carjacking law under Penal Code Section 215; or
- Commit a number of other crimes in relation to the kidnapping charge.
Depending on the circumstances of your case, aggravated kidnapping is punishable by up to life in state prison.2
Impersonating a Police Officer (California Penal Code Section 538(d))
The police discover that Payne is a disgruntled former police bomb squad officer who lost a finger in an explosion. He uses his old uniform to pose as a police officer and kidnap Porter.
Under California Penal Code Section 538(d), it is illegal for a person who does not have the legal authority of a peace officer to willfully wear, exhibit or use the authorized uniform, insignia, emblem, device, label, certificate, card or writing of a peace officer with the intent of fraudulently impersonate a peace officer or to fraudulently induce the belief that he/she is a peace officer.
Impersonating a police officer is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail and a $2,000 fine.3
Call Wallin & Klarich Today
If you or a loved one has been charged with any of the crimes depicted in the movie Speed, it is critical that you speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. At Wallin & Klarich, our attorneys have over 40 years of experience successfully defending persons charged for crimes in Southern California. Our attorneys will fight to get you the best possible outcome in your case.
With offices in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Torrance, Tustin, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, West Covina and Victorville, there is an experienced Wallin & Klarich criminal defense attorney near you no matter where you work or live.
Call us today at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free phone consultation. We will be there when you call.
1. [Use of weapons of mass destruction, http://law.justia.com/codes/us/1994/title18/parti/chap113b/sec2332a]↩
2. [Penal Code Section 207-210, http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=207-210]↩
3. [California Penal Code Section 538d, http://law.onecle.com/california/penal/538d.html]↩
