Keep Your Friends Close.. You Might Need To Share Prison Cells One Day… (Recap+Broken Laws in Pretty Little Liars episode 1×10)
While PLL is on hiatus, I figured I’d do some special entries on episodes of PLL from season 1 that I haven’t covered yet. It’s fun to reminisce 🙂
NOTE: there were not that many broken laws in episodes 1×08 and 1×09, but I will briefly cover them in this entry.
**ALSO NOTE: This entry contains SPOILERS regarding the identities of the first “A” and of the person who destroyed Alison’s memorial. **
Now, let’s see if the PLLs have been naughty or nice… I’ll give you one guess.
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Episode 1×07, “Please Do Talk About Me When I’m Gone” is encompassed mostly by Alison’s memorial. The girls work their asses off on the memorial to make sure it’s perfect, only to be criticized and “sent off to play” when Alison’s brother Jason returns to town. Fortunately for the girls, Jason has someone else to criticize, and he is a lot more harsh against this person.
Jason does not approve of the lack of progress in Alison’s murder investigation, and he makes sure that Detective Darren Wilden knows about his dissatisfaction. When Jason shakes Wilden up, instead of conducting his investigation properly, he takes the low road and threatens to humiliate Hanna’s mother if Hanna discloses certain information to Jason. If this sounds sketchy to you, it’s probably because police officers are not supposed to use their authoritative power to threaten people to further their work. Hanna certainly doesn’t appreciate it, and she responds to Wilden’s inappropriate behavior with a snarky remark about the days when he used to prance around the kitchen wearing nothing but a towel. This is not Wilden’s first rodeo with breaking the law in order to terrorize Hanna; we discussed similar behavior in my entry about episode 1×03, “To Kill A Mocking Girl.” (see broken law # 5 in that entry for a reminder). Wilden’s inappropriate “investigating” leads us into:
Broken Law # 1 Alert! (Episode 1×08)
Abuse of Power- Official Oppression (in relevant part): Pa. Stat. Ann. Title 18 § 5301:“A person acting or purporting to act in an official capacity or taking advantage of such actual or purported capacity commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if, knowing that his conduct is illegal, he:
(1) subjects another to arrest, detention, search, seizure, mistreatment, dispossession, assessment, lien or other infringement of personal or property rights; or
(2) denies or impedes another in the exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege, power or immunity.”
I may not be what Detective Wilden considers an expert, but I’m pretty sure it sets a bad example for a police officer to commit misdemeanors in order to investigate a felony. As former PLL writer & current Twisted writer, Andy Reaser put it, he’s a “bad cop… that’s why he needed to be put down.”
At the end of the episode, somebody violently destroys the memorial that the girls spent the entire episode preparing. At the time, we don’t know who the person is, but now, it has been concluded that the person was Lucas. I don’t cover crimes when we don’t know the identity of the perpetrator, but since it has been revealed, Lucas destroying the shrine to his worst enemy brings us to:
Broken Law # 2 Alert! (Episode 1×08)
Criminal mischief – 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3304 (in relevant part)
“A person is guilty of criminal mischief if he: … (4) intentionally defaces or otherwise damages tangible public property or tangible property of another with graffiti by use of any aerosol spray-paint can, broad-tipped indelible marker or similar marking device;…”
Grading (in relevant part): …It is a misdemeanor of the second degree if the actor intentionally causes pecuniary loss in excess of $1,000, or a misdemeanor of the third degree if he intentionally or recklessly causes pecuniary loss in excess of $500 or causes a loss in excess of $150 for a violation of subsection (a)(4). Otherwise criminal mischief is a summary offense.”
While we don’t know how much those tiles and statues cost, I’d say our favorite technology nerd would likely fall into the category of at least a third degree misdemeanor, and perhaps even second degree, because it could be argued that he knew that what he was destroying was very valuable.
Grading (in relevant part): …It is a misdemeanor of the second degree if the actor intentionally causes pecuniary loss in excess of $1,000, or a misdemeanor of the third degree if he intentionally or recklessly causes pecuniary loss in excess of $500 or causes a loss in excess of $150 for a violation of subsection (a)(4). Otherwise criminal mischief is a summary offense.”
While we don’t know how much those tiles and statues cost, I’d say our favorite technology nerd would likely fall into the category of at least a third degree misdemeanor, and perhaps even second degree, because it could be argued that he knew that what he was destroying was very valuable.
It’s good to know that when Lucas isn’t selling action figures and designer pocket books on the internet, he still has something to do with his time! Hopefully he doesn’t wind up doing actual time in jail one day if his misbehavior continues.
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Moving on to episode 1×09, “The Perfect Storm.” In a nutshell, a major tornado hits Rosewood on the day of the girls’ SATs and the girls wait in school to find out if the test will be postponed. Wilden, in typical fashion, harasses them throughout the entire episode, and his behavior is once again illegal.
Veronica Hastings scares Wilden to death when informing him of his infractions. Wilden has spent the better part of this episode badgering the girls, especially Emily, about their whereabouts the night that Alison’s memorial was destroyed. He attempts to use his knowledge that Emily has lied about where she was to his advantage, but it backfires big time.
Wilden gets Emily alone in a room (well, her friends follow them) and harasses her into admitting that she went to Alison’s memorial the night before. She explains that it was already destroyed when she got there. Wilden then reveals that he has taken the liberty of searching Emily’s purse and found pieces (the only one that were not broken, Emily explains) of the statues from Alison’s memorial. This is not enough for Wilden, so he also forces Emily to come out of the closet by confessing to her friends that she had feelings for Alison. He is pretty much accusing Emily of murdering Alison when Veronica Hastings comes to the rescue and explains that Wilden has shattered the law into more pieces than Lucas left intact after his handiwork on Ali’s memorial. Apparently Wilden still needs a formal introduction to the 5th amendment of the Constitution. His questionable detective work brings us to:
Broken Law # 3 Alert! (Episode 1×09)
Veronica Hastings yelled at Wilden for questioning minors without an adult present. This is because any minor who is subject to a custodial interrogation (and Emily was in this situation) should be read their Miranda rights. Under the fifth amendment, the right against self incrimination, which applies to juveniles just as much as it does to adults, includes the right to have an attorney present.
If someone is subject to a custodial interrogation without being read their rights, as Veronica pointed out, any statements that were made during the interrogation will be inadmissible in a court room. Additionally, in order for someone to waive their 5th amendment rights (had Wilden bothered to read them in the first place), they need to give INFORMED consent that they understand the rights they’re giving up. This is where Veronica’s comment about questioning minors without an adult present ties in. Minors are less likely to understand the consequences of giving up their rights, or to know that they have rights in the first place. That’s why in many situations, it’s forbidden for minors to be questioned without an adult present.
(PARAPHRASED)
I am going to cite some US Supreme Court case law in order to explain the rights provided by the 5th amendment:
In the Supreme Court Case, In Re: R.H., (791 A.2d 331 (2002), the Court cites many cases that explain the 5th amendment rights.
“To safeguard an uncounseled individual’s Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, suspects subject to custodial interrogation by law enforcement officers must be warned that they have the right to remain silent, that anything they say may be used against them in court, and that they are entitled to the presence of an attorney. See Thompson v. Keohane, 516 U.S. 99 ,107, 116 S.Ct. 457, 133 L.Ed.2d 383 (1995)(citing Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436,444, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966)). Juveniles, as well as adults, are entitled to be apprised of their constitutional rights pursuant to Miranda. See In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 57, 87 S.Ct. 1428, 18 L.Ed.2d 527 (1967). If a person is not advised of his Miranda rights prior to custodial interrogation by law enforcement officers, evidence resulting from such interrogation cannot be used against him. See Miranda, 384 U.S. at 436, 444, 478-79, 86 S.Ct. 1602; Commonwealth v. Chacko, 500 Pa. 571, 459 A.2d 311, 314-15 (1983). A person is deemed to be in custody for Miranda purposes when “[he] is physically denied of his freedom of action in any significant way or is placed in a situation in which he reasonably believes that his freedom of action or movement is restricted by the interrogation.”Commonwealth v. Williams, 539 Pa. 61, 650 A.2d 420, 427 (1994).”
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FINALLY, we can move on to the episode we’ve all been waiting for; it’s time to go “glamping” in Episode 1×10, “Keep Your Friends Close.”
This episode begins with Hanna asking a burning question to her best friends: whether or not one side of her face is fatter than the other one. This is clearly the most important problem that she’s currently dealing with in her life. The girls realize that Melissa’s ex-boyfriend, Ian Thomas, has returned to school as the new field hockey coach.
Then, Mona invites the girls to “The Best Birthday Party EVER, ‘Camp Mona.'” This party will feature “glamping,” Mona’s version of camping in style. She assures the girls that “M is for Mona and Massages, not mosquitos.” Well, THAT’s a relief! Hanna insists that Mona is attempting to be nice to the girls, but none of them want to go to the party. They quickly change their minds when they receive a text message from “A” informing them that Camp Mona is a scavenger hunt and “A” is the prize. The girls are forced to RSVP yes to Mona’s party in order to abide by the request in the text message, “Come and find me bitches!” So, the girls are going to a party in the woods because “A,” the mysterious person who has been relentlessly harassing them has instructed them to do so. This sounds like a great idea if I’ve ever heard one!
The next day at the Marin household, Ashley screams “Screw you!” at her telephone. The ever curious Hanna presses redial and learns that Ashley called a mortgage company, making her worry more about their financial difficulties. Before she can think about this too much, the birthday girl arrives. Mona announces in front of Hanna’s mother that she wants Hanna to join her in ditching school to get lunch at a fancy restaurant. Brilliant thinking, Mona! Hanna insists that she can’t ditch school even if she does NOT have a locator bracelet on her ankle. This is outrageous to Mona, and she gets incredibly pissed off at Hanna. She threatens to “go rogue” if Hanna disappoints her on her birthday. Hanna begins to confess to Mona about the financial issues she and her mother are having, but Ashley swoops in and hands her a hundred dollar bill before she can finish her sentence. Score.
Meanwhile, Byron Montgomery displays his complete lack of ability to do the laundry and get accustomed to being a single parent. At Spencer’s house, Melissa attempts at behaving nicely towards Spencer, but Spencer immediately calls BS. The truth comes out; Melissa wants to know why Spencer didn’t tell her that Ian was back in Rosewood. He has been begging Melissa to go get coffee with him, but she keeps turning him down and ignoring him because he broke her heart. Spencer attempts to apologize to Melissa, once again, for what happened with Wren. Then, we’re taken into a flashback where we learn that the incident with Wren is not the only time that Spencer has screwed Melissa over. Spencer might actually be the worst sister in the world.
In the flashback, we learn that when Spencer was younger she secretly hooked up with Ian (who is SIX YEARS OLDER than Spencer) when he was dating Melissa. Apparently Spencer doesn’t go for guys unless they’re dating her older sister. That’s her type! And apparently Ian is the type of guy who doesn’t mind breaking the law to hook up with his girlfriend’s younger sister. Spencer’s flashback brings us to:
In the Supreme Court Case, In Re: R.H., (791 A.2d 331 (2002), the Court cites many cases that explain the 5th amendment rights.
“To safeguard an uncounseled individual’s Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination, suspects subject to custodial interrogation by law enforcement officers must be warned that they have the right to remain silent, that anything they say may be used against them in court, and that they are entitled to the presence of an attorney. See Thompson v. Keohane, 516 U.S. 99 ,107, 116 S.Ct. 457, 133 L.Ed.2d 383 (1995)(citing Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436,444, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966)). Juveniles, as well as adults, are entitled to be apprised of their constitutional rights pursuant to Miranda. See In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 57, 87 S.Ct. 1428, 18 L.Ed.2d 527 (1967). If a person is not advised of his Miranda rights prior to custodial interrogation by law enforcement officers, evidence resulting from such interrogation cannot be used against him. See Miranda, 384 U.S. at 436, 444, 478-79, 86 S.Ct. 1602; Commonwealth v. Chacko, 500 Pa. 571, 459 A.2d 311, 314-15 (1983). A person is deemed to be in custody for Miranda purposes when “[he] is physically denied of his freedom of action in any significant way or is placed in a situation in which he reasonably believes that his freedom of action or movement is restricted by the interrogation.”Commonwealth v. Williams, 539 Pa. 61, 650 A.2d 420, 427 (1994).”
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FINALLY, we can move on to the episode we’ve all been waiting for; it’s time to go “glamping” in Episode 1×10, “Keep Your Friends Close.”
This episode begins with Hanna asking a burning question to her best friends: whether or not one side of her face is fatter than the other one. This is clearly the most important problem that she’s currently dealing with in her life. The girls realize that Melissa’s ex-boyfriend, Ian Thomas, has returned to school as the new field hockey coach.
Then, Mona invites the girls to “The Best Birthday Party EVER, ‘Camp Mona.'” This party will feature “glamping,” Mona’s version of camping in style. She assures the girls that “M is for Mona and Massages, not mosquitos.” Well, THAT’s a relief! Hanna insists that Mona is attempting to be nice to the girls, but none of them want to go to the party. They quickly change their minds when they receive a text message from “A” informing them that Camp Mona is a scavenger hunt and “A” is the prize. The girls are forced to RSVP yes to Mona’s party in order to abide by the request in the text message, “Come and find me bitches!” So, the girls are going to a party in the woods because “A,” the mysterious person who has been relentlessly harassing them has instructed them to do so. This sounds like a great idea if I’ve ever heard one!
The next day at the Marin household, Ashley screams “Screw you!” at her telephone. The ever curious Hanna presses redial and learns that Ashley called a mortgage company, making her worry more about their financial difficulties. Before she can think about this too much, the birthday girl arrives. Mona announces in front of Hanna’s mother that she wants Hanna to join her in ditching school to get lunch at a fancy restaurant. Brilliant thinking, Mona! Hanna insists that she can’t ditch school even if she does NOT have a locator bracelet on her ankle. This is outrageous to Mona, and she gets incredibly pissed off at Hanna. She threatens to “go rogue” if Hanna disappoints her on her birthday. Hanna begins to confess to Mona about the financial issues she and her mother are having, but Ashley swoops in and hands her a hundred dollar bill before she can finish her sentence. Score.
Meanwhile, Byron Montgomery displays his complete lack of ability to do the laundry and get accustomed to being a single parent. At Spencer’s house, Melissa attempts at behaving nicely towards Spencer, but Spencer immediately calls BS. The truth comes out; Melissa wants to know why Spencer didn’t tell her that Ian was back in Rosewood. He has been begging Melissa to go get coffee with him, but she keeps turning him down and ignoring him because he broke her heart. Spencer attempts to apologize to Melissa, once again, for what happened with Wren. Then, we’re taken into a flashback where we learn that the incident with Wren is not the only time that Spencer has screwed Melissa over. Spencer might actually be the worst sister in the world.
In the flashback, we learn that when Spencer was younger she secretly hooked up with Ian (who is SIX YEARS OLDER than Spencer) when he was dating Melissa. Apparently Spencer doesn’t go for guys unless they’re dating her older sister. That’s her type! And apparently Ian is the type of guy who doesn’t mind breaking the law to hook up with his girlfriend’s younger sister. Spencer’s flashback brings us to:
Broken Law # 4 Alert!
Indecent assault – 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3126 (in relevant part)
“Offense defined.–A person is guilty of indecent assault if the person has indecent contact with the complainant, causes the complainant to have indecent contact with the person… and… (8) the complainant is less than 16 years of age and the person is four or more years older than the complainant and the complainant and the person are not married to each other…”
Definition of indecent contact:
“Any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of the person for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire, in either person.”
The way Ian was touching Spencer and the fact that he asked her if she liked it would likely make his behavior qualify for this offense.
Spencer is around 14 years old at this point and Ian and Melissa are 6 years older than Spencer, which would make Ian approximately 20 years old. Not ok.
(b) Grading.–“Indecent assault shall be graded as follows:
An offense under subsection (a)(1) or (8) is a misdemeanor of the second degree.
”
Not only is Spencer’s behavior unacceptable according to the law, but according to Alison too. In the flashback, Ali demands why Spencer took part in that “gross” kiss with Melissa’s “old” boyfriend. She proclaims that if Spencer was into it, “THAT WOULD MAKE [SPENCER] A SKANK!” Wow, I totally see why Ali was Spencer’s BFF.
Noel laments to Aria about Camp Mona being a girls only party, but he and Aria make big plans to be lazy and watch movies on Sunday. Ezra watches angrily as Noel and Aria kiss. He makes a condescending remark about Noel playing football, but then claims that Aria doesn’t owe him any explanation about who she dates.
Meanwhile, the police spend more time at Rosewood high school than they do at the police station. The girls are once again called to the principal’s office to speak to them. Hanna texts Mona to apologize because she’s stuck at school, but all she gets in return is a “screw you!” text from Mona. The girls learn that the FBI is now involved in the investigation of Ali’s murder, and some of the agents are at the principal’s office to discuss evidence. One agent shows the girls a video that was sent to the Rosewood Police Department by an “anonymous source.” Hmm, I wonder if this involves “A.” The video is from the night Ali disappeared, as Aria quickly points out. It features Ali at the kissing rock wearing a sweater that Hanna is 100% did not belong to her. Alison is talking to the “so-called mystery boyfriend,” the older boy she was interested in that summer. At the end of the video, Ali says “I know you wanna kiss me.”
Ashley Marin is at work, and she makes a phone call in attempt to get an extension on her mortgage. Her request is denied. Then, an old woman, Mrs. Potter, walks in for her annual visit to Ashley. She puts an excessive amount of cash in her safety deposit box and then screams that when she dies, she has no remaining relatives. Before Mrs. Potter leaves, she greedily takes all but one of the butterscotch candies on Ashley Marin’s desk, and forgets her key to her deposit box. Ashley is about to stop her, then she rethinks it. Breaking the law is cooler, PLUS, butterscotch candies are awesome and this old lady just tapped into her stash!
At Rosewood High, Noel approaches Aria at her locker to ask about the girls being called to the office. He finds a note from “A,” which turns out to lead to a poem written by Ezra Fitz — seemingly about Aria. A random girl goes up to Hanna in the cafeteria asking her for the name of her non-existant liposuction doctor. “A” is spreading rumors and a bunch of girls are talking about it in the hallway. Even Mona “got a text from ‘A’,” or so she claims. Now we know better. Mona is PISSED. She was eating 3 almonds a day to get skinny while Hanna was “getting lipo.”
This is the last straw for Mona. She un-invites Hanna to her birthday party. When Hanna protests, Mona says that they used to be best friends, but now Hanna’s just somebody that she used to know. Hanna knows that “A” is behind this, and she is “SO OVER that bitch!” She insists that the other girls still need to go to Mona’s party. ‘A’ might be playing games, but she;’s not.
After reading Ezra’s poem, Aria goes to Ezra’s classroom and flips out on him. She’s angry at him for giving up on their relationship too easily. For somebody who doesn’t want to get caught for having dated her teacher, she certainly is fighting with Ezra loudly. Just as Aria screams that she has moved on, Noel shows up wondering what’s going on. Aria assures him that absolutely nothing is going on. Ezra and Noel exchange awkward glances and Ezra hurls a book across the classroom.
Next, Ian knocks on the Hastings; door; he just can’t get enough of Melissa’s rejection. Spencer and the girls walk in with their glamping gear. Spencer encourages Melissa to go on the coffee date with Ian. Melissa finally agrees. When the girls ask Spencer why she’s trying to mend her sister’s relationships, Spencer confesses to them about her “moments,” as she calls them, with Ian and Wren.
Their conversation comes to a halt when they hear something on the news; there is confirmation that a blood stain on the sweater Alison was wearing in that video matches Alison’s blood… AND the sweater belongs to Toby Cavanaugh. Spencer is 100% convinced that since Ali was wearing Toby’s sweater, he’s definitely the guy at the kissing rock.
Emily and Aria both have family moments, NOT the same type of “moments” Spencer was discussing. Aria finally goes out to lunch with Ella and apologizes again for not telling her about Byron’s affair. Emily’s father returns home from the army. He has a heart to heart with Emily and insists that Toby is a dangerous guy. Pam eavesdrops from outside Emily’s room. Then, it’s revealed that someone (we now know that, that someone is Mona) sent a picture of Emily and Maya kissing to Pam. This is a good part to interject and allow “A” herself to bring us to:
Noel laments to Aria about Camp Mona being a girls only party, but he and Aria make big plans to be lazy and watch movies on Sunday. Ezra watches angrily as Noel and Aria kiss. He makes a condescending remark about Noel playing football, but then claims that Aria doesn’t owe him any explanation about who she dates.
Meanwhile, the police spend more time at Rosewood high school than they do at the police station. The girls are once again called to the principal’s office to speak to them. Hanna texts Mona to apologize because she’s stuck at school, but all she gets in return is a “screw you!” text from Mona. The girls learn that the FBI is now involved in the investigation of Ali’s murder, and some of the agents are at the principal’s office to discuss evidence. One agent shows the girls a video that was sent to the Rosewood Police Department by an “anonymous source.” Hmm, I wonder if this involves “A.” The video is from the night Ali disappeared, as Aria quickly points out. It features Ali at the kissing rock wearing a sweater that Hanna is 100% did not belong to her. Alison is talking to the “so-called mystery boyfriend,” the older boy she was interested in that summer. At the end of the video, Ali says “I know you wanna kiss me.”
Ashley Marin is at work, and she makes a phone call in attempt to get an extension on her mortgage. Her request is denied. Then, an old woman, Mrs. Potter, walks in for her annual visit to Ashley. She puts an excessive amount of cash in her safety deposit box and then screams that when she dies, she has no remaining relatives. Before Mrs. Potter leaves, she greedily takes all but one of the butterscotch candies on Ashley Marin’s desk, and forgets her key to her deposit box. Ashley is about to stop her, then she rethinks it. Breaking the law is cooler, PLUS, butterscotch candies are awesome and this old lady just tapped into her stash!
At Rosewood High, Noel approaches Aria at her locker to ask about the girls being called to the office. He finds a note from “A,” which turns out to lead to a poem written by Ezra Fitz — seemingly about Aria. A random girl goes up to Hanna in the cafeteria asking her for the name of her non-existant liposuction doctor. “A” is spreading rumors and a bunch of girls are talking about it in the hallway. Even Mona “got a text from ‘A’,” or so she claims. Now we know better. Mona is PISSED. She was eating 3 almonds a day to get skinny while Hanna was “getting lipo.”
This is the last straw for Mona. She un-invites Hanna to her birthday party. When Hanna protests, Mona says that they used to be best friends, but now Hanna’s just somebody that she used to know. Hanna knows that “A” is behind this, and she is “SO OVER that bitch!” She insists that the other girls still need to go to Mona’s party. ‘A’ might be playing games, but she;’s not.
After reading Ezra’s poem, Aria goes to Ezra’s classroom and flips out on him. She’s angry at him for giving up on their relationship too easily. For somebody who doesn’t want to get caught for having dated her teacher, she certainly is fighting with Ezra loudly. Just as Aria screams that she has moved on, Noel shows up wondering what’s going on. Aria assures him that absolutely nothing is going on. Ezra and Noel exchange awkward glances and Ezra hurls a book across the classroom.
Next, Ian knocks on the Hastings; door; he just can’t get enough of Melissa’s rejection. Spencer and the girls walk in with their glamping gear. Spencer encourages Melissa to go on the coffee date with Ian. Melissa finally agrees. When the girls ask Spencer why she’s trying to mend her sister’s relationships, Spencer confesses to them about her “moments,” as she calls them, with Ian and Wren.
Their conversation comes to a halt when they hear something on the news; there is confirmation that a blood stain on the sweater Alison was wearing in that video matches Alison’s blood… AND the sweater belongs to Toby Cavanaugh. Spencer is 100% convinced that since Ali was wearing Toby’s sweater, he’s definitely the guy at the kissing rock.
Emily and Aria both have family moments, NOT the same type of “moments” Spencer was discussing. Aria finally goes out to lunch with Ella and apologizes again for not telling her about Byron’s affair. Emily’s father returns home from the army. He has a heart to heart with Emily and insists that Toby is a dangerous guy. Pam eavesdrops from outside Emily’s room. Then, it’s revealed that someone (we now know that, that someone is Mona) sent a picture of Emily and Maya kissing to Pam. This is a good part to interject and allow “A” herself to bring us to:
Broken Law # 5 Alert!
Now that we know Mona was the person behind the menacing text messages and other forms of torture that the girls faced, we can discuss that clearly her behavior as “A” was not legal. In regards to the text messages and letters Mona sent, she could be found guilty of:
18 Pa. C.S. § 2709. Harassment (in relevant part).
“(a) OFFENSE DEFINED.– A person commits the crime of harassment when, with intent to harass, annoy or alarm another, the person:
(1) strikes, shoves, kicks or otherwise subjects the other person to physical contact, or attempts or threatens to do the same;
(2) follows the other person in or about a public place or places;
(3) engages in a course of conduct or repeatedly commits acts which serve no legitimate purpose;
(4) communicates to or about such other person any lewd, lascivious, threatening or obscene words, language, drawings or caricatures;
(5) communicates repeatedly in an anonymous manner;
(6) communicates repeatedly at extremely inconvenient hours; or
(7) communicates repeatedly in a manner other than specified in paragraphs (4), (5) and (6).”
“(c) GRADING.-
(1) An offense under subsection (a)(1), (2) or (3) shall constitute a summary offense.
(2)
(i) An offense under subsection (a)(4), (5), (6) or (7) shall constitute a misdemeanor of the third degree.”
At some point during Mona’s time as “A,” she has been guilty of everything on the above list, therefore she would likely be charged with the 3rd degree misdemeanor and not the summary offense.
Later, Emily drives to Camp Mona and parks her car in the woods. Out of nowhere, Toby has creepily been in the back of Emily’s car the entire time! He wants to finish telling Emily what he started to tell her at Homecoming. He explains that September 1st (a reference to his “901 Free At Last” tattoo) is the day that he ended things with Jenna. According to Toby, Jenna threatened to tell people that he forced himself on her, when really it was the other way around, and Jenna was (and still is) in love with Toby. Emily wants to know more, but she has to go to the party. Toby tells her that she should meet him later behind the Church; that’s where his ride is picking him up.
Wait, WHAT just happened?! Let’s hop in the car, because we’re getting a ride with Toby to:
Broken Law # 6 Alert!
Nope, Toby following Emily and getting in her car and hiding there without her permission is not ok.
18 Pa. C.S. § 2709.1. Stalking (in relevant part).
“(a) OFFENSE DEFINED.– A person commits the crime of stalking when the person either:
(1) engages in a course of conduct or repeatedly commits acts toward another person, including following the person without proper authority, under circumstances which demonstrate either an intent to place such other person in reasonable fear of bodily injury or to cause substantial emotional distress to such other person; …”
“Grading: a first offense under this section shall constitute a misdemeanor of the first degree.”
Since Toby obviously knows that the last time he was with Emily, she was terrified of him and wound up hospitalized, he likely has the requisite intent. Here’s a bit of advice, Toby. When the cops are after you because you’re a suspect in a murder investigation, you probably shouldn’t roam around town continuing to break the law!
Continuing, if what Toby told Emily about Jenna forcing herself on him is true, Jenna would be guilty of:
Broken Law # 7 Alert!
18 Pa.C.S. § 3124.1 Sexual Assault (in relevant part).
“… a person commits a felony of the second degree when that person engages in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with a complainant without the complainant’s consent.”
As Alison says in a future episode, “it turns out darling Jenna isn’t the victim; freak Toby is!” And we’re not done with Toby just yet. He is also hiding from the police, as he makes clear to Emily when he begs her not to call the police or tell her friends that she saw him. He can run, but he can’t hide from:
Broken Law # 8 Alert!
Flight to avoid apprehension, trial or punishment – 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5126 (in relevant part)
“(a) Offense defined.–A person who willfully conceals
himself or moves or travels within or outside this Commonwealth
with the intent to avoid apprehension, trial or punishment
commits a felony of the third degree when the crime which he has
been charged with or has been convicted of is a felony…”
Seriously, Toby, stop breaking the law!
When the girls finally get to the party, Mona hovers over the gift pile and welcomes them. She gives them a tour of her party, which includes the “blow me bar” where the girls get their hair done, the mini-bar, and tons of other activities that probably were all very expensive to arrange.
Legal Note:
If the mini-bar is serving alcoholic beverages, which is likely, then that is against Pennsylvania law. I’m only making a note of it, because while the mini-bar was briefly mentioned, nobody was seen notably drunk and I didn’t notice anyone actually drinking an alcoholic beverage. However, if there was underage drinking at the party, it would be in violation of this Pennsylvania law: Purchase, consumption, possession or transportation of liquor or malt or brewed beverages- Pa.C.S.A. § 6308 (a)Against Toby’s wishes, Emily tells her friends about seeing him and about the story he told her. Spencer insists that he’s lying and Aria says that they should call the police. This conversation is interrupted when Hanna calls Aria. She plans to spy on “A” from the woods while “A” watches the other girls at the party. This has “terrible idea” written all over it, but of course our favorite girls don’t realize that.
Aria is popular tonight; next, she receives a text message from “A.” It reads, “you found my bracelet, now come find me.” The girls guess that this means they have to go to the spot where they originally found the “Alison” bracelet. Emily and Aria wonder how they’re ever going to find the exact spot, but Spencer assures them to have no fear! She remembers exactly how many steps they have to walk to go to where they found the bracelet. It’s a good thing they’re at least going on this journey together. Oh, wait! Mona grabs Aria and Emily; it’s their turn to glamp their hair. Spencer’s on this mission alone. Aria’s phone goes off yet again, and this time it’s a text from Ezra which says that he needs to see her.
Hanna lingers in the bushes, spying on the happenings at Camp Mona with a pair of binoculars. She’s an expert at this after her years at fat camp. I guess stalking was one of the activities there. Emily and Aria come out with crazy blown out hair. Spencer makes fun of them and then reveals that she found another bracelet, and this one says “Jenna.” “A” left a note with the bracelet: “You’re as in the dark as Jenna, looking for me in all the wrong places.”
There’s still life outside of Camp Mona, and Byron sees Ashley Marin driving past him. He asks her for a ride home, startling her by tapping on her car window. Ashley briskly blows him off, claiming that she’s not going home and she’s in a rush. When she drives off, it’s revealed that she stole Mrs. Potter’s money! Holy. Shit. That’s what you get when you mess with somebody’s butterscotch.
Ashley may have refused to give Byron a ride, but right now, she can take us out of Pennsylvania law territory and into federal law:
Broken Law # 9 Alert!
Since Ashley Marin is an employee at a bank, and she stole money out of a customer’s safe deposit box, this falls into federal law rather than state law. Basically, what she did is REALLY bad and she’d be screwed if she got caught. But in legal terminology:18 USC § 656 – Theft, embezzlement, or misapplication by bank officer or employee (in relevant part)
“Whoever, being an officer, director, agent or employee of … any Federal Reserve bank, member bank, … national bank, insured bank, … embezzles, abstracts, purloins or willfully misapplies any of the moneys, funds or credits of such bank, branch, agency, or organization or holding company or any moneys, funds, assets or securities intrusted to the custody or care of such bank, branch, agency, or organization, or holding company or to the custody or care of any such agent, officer, director, employee or receiver, shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both…”
I understand how importance of being able to pay bills on time, but if Ashley were to get caught, shopping and paying bills would be the least of her troubles!
While we have one felon driving away to avoid getting caught with way too much money, we have another potential felon actually getting caught by the police. Never a dull moment in Rosewood. Toby waits behind the Church hoping for Emily to show up, but instead is greeted by cop cars. He attempts to run away, but they have him completely surrounded and the cops take him away. I did say that he should stop breaking the law!
Back at Camp Mona, Aria has mysteriously disappeared, and Spencer has cracked the code from the “A” note. Instead of looking for “A” in the WRONG places, OBVIOUSLY, they need to go to Wright’s Playground! It’s completely realistic that Spencer would come to this realization all of a sudden while roasting Marshmallows. Emily and Spencer head to the park where they find a tree that is engraved with “Alison loves Ian.” To quote Ms. DiLaurentis herself, “Ok, GROSS!”
Hanna is still spying in the woods. She sees a car pull up and she sees somebody get in the passenger seat. The two people are kissing, and Hanna is shocked to learn that the people inside the car are Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz. Everybody’s just driving around breaking laws tonight. As mentioned in previous entries, Ezra’s behavior is against the law. Buckle up, we’re heading to:
Broken Law # 10 Alert!
18 Pa. C.S. § 3124.2(a.2) – Institutional sexual assault (in relevant part)
“A person who is a volunteer or an employee of a school or any other person who has direct contact with a student at a school commits a felony of the third degree when he engages in sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse or indecent contact with a student of the school.”
I know, I know, Ezria fans, it sucks and it’s not fair and they haven’t even had sex yet! But since this steamy moment in the car definitely amounts to at least indecent contact, Ezra is in trouble, and the fact that Aria is of the age of consent (16) doesn’t help him either; this law applies to any student regardless of age.
Hanna is not the only person stunned at what’s going on in her English teacher’s car. During her spying adventure, Hanna notices a person in a black hoodie (who she presumes is “A”) approach the back of the car and write “I See You” on the back window. Aria ignores Hanna’s frantic warning phone calls, and the person in the black hoodie saw everything. After writing the message on the window, the person runs away, but Hanna sees who it is. She sends the other PLLs one of their famous SOS texts: “I know who ‘A’ is, heading to the parking lot.” The girls head to meet her, but before Hanna can approach them, she is abruptly hit by a car. This was clearly an intentional hit-and-run situation. This is yet another person driving around causing trouble, and this time it’s the girls’ worst enemy; “A.” This is quickly confirmed when immediately after Hanna is hit by the car, the girls get a text from “A” with the eerie message: “She knew too much.”
Since Mona has now been revealed at “A”, we’ll explore the fact that she’s not allowed to just drive around and hit people with cars when she feels like it. We discussed the possibility of Alison committing a similar crime in my entry on episode 4×10, “The Mirror Has Three Faces” (check out broken law # 3).
Broken Law # 11 Alert!
Aggravated assault – 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2702 (in relevant part)
“(a) Offense defined.–A person is guilty of aggravated assault if he:
(1) attempts to cause serious bodily injury to another, or causes such injury intentionally, knowingly or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life…”
“(b) Grading.–Aggravated assault under subsection (a)(1) … is a felony of the first degree.”
First degree felonies are probably a second nature to Mona at this point, but she couldn’t even take the night off from crime to celebrate her own birthday! At least she’s a dedicated villain.
At the very end of the episode, we see the “I know you wanna kiss me” video again, but this time the guy Alison is talking to is revealed. Ian replies “Come closer.” If it’s engraved in a tree and on a video, it has to be true… right? Ok GROSS!
Thanks for reading, and I’ll be back with more PLL mischief soon. I hope you enjoy reading about the PLLs’ past crimes with me while we wait for them to commit more of them in season 4B!
Damn it. I love your blog you sound like someone I'd love to be friends with!!
Thank you so much!!! 🙂