Posted on 10/14/2004 9:29:51 PM PDT by SmithL
LOS ANGELES -- Major motion picture studios on Thursday sued a suspended Los Angeles police captain for alleged copyright infringement in her scheme selling pirated and counterfeit DVDs.
Capt. Julie D. Nelson, 52, was arrested in December after police found hundreds of bootleg movie DVDs in her car, her home and a friend's apartment.
Nelson, who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges, was sentenced last month to three years probation, 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Los Angeles by Columbia Pictures, Disney, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Miramax, Paramount Pictures, Tri-Star Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, United Artists, Universal City Studios and Warner Bros.
"As a police captain, Nelson had a duty to enforce the laws, not to break them," said James Spertus, director of ant-piracy operations for the Motion Picture Association of America.
The plaintiffs said damages have not been calculated but could result in $150,000 in statutory damages for each infringement.
Authorities have said Nelson's boyfriend, Edward Monroy, produced thousands of movies but have not filed charges against him.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Tuesday, 09/14/04
California - After a 13 year old girl is ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for copying music off the internet for her personal use, a suspended LAPD police captain was placed on probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service for selling pirated and counterfeit DVDs.
Capt. Julie D. Nelson pleaded no contest last month to possessing hundreds of the DVDs for sale after a a judge reduced the piracy charges to misdemeanors. Friday's sentence was issued by Orange County Superior Court Judge Robert Fitzgerald, who rejected prosecutors' arguments for a tougher sentence that would include incarceration in sentencing her to three years' probation and a $1,000 fine.
If convicted on felony charges, she could have faced nearly seven years in prison and been fired. Nelson was arrested in December after police allegedly found hundreds of bootleg movie DVDs in her car, her home and a friend's apartment.
During Friday's hearing, Nelson apologized for her actions. She said in a prepared statement she was sorry for bringing shame on "myself, my family and fellow officers." "I do understand there are those who will never forgive me," Nelson said.
Authorities have claimed her boyfriend, Edward Monroy, produced thousands of movies but have not filed charges against him
Nelson also faces an internal LAPD hearing that could result in disciplinary action or termination. She was transferred to Hollywood last year after serving as Harbor station commander until she was demoted.
Tuesday, 09/14/04
California - After a 13 year old girl is ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for copying music off the internet for her personal use, a suspended LAPD police captain was placed on probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service for selling pirated and counterfeit DVDs.
Capt. Julie D. Nelson pleaded no contest last month to possessing hundreds of the DVDs for sale after a a judge reduced the piracy charges to misdemeanors. Friday's sentence was issued by Orange County Superior Court Judge Robert Fitzgerald, who rejected prosecutors' arguments for a tougher sentence that would include incarceration in sentencing her to three years' probation and a $1,000 fine.
If convicted on felony charges, she could have faced nearly seven years in prison and been fired. Nelson was arrested in December after police allegedly found hundreds of bootleg movie DVDs in her car, her home and a friend's apartment.
During Friday's hearing, Nelson apologized for her actions. She said in a prepared statement she was sorry for bringing shame on "myself, my family and fellow officers." "I do understand there are those who will never forgive me," Nelson said.
Authorities have claimed her boyfriend, Edward Monroy, produced thousands of movies but have not filed charges against him
Nelson also faces an internal LAPD hearing that could result in disciplinary action or termination. She was transferred to Hollywood last year after serving as Harbor station commander until she was demoted.
This is misleading. The punishment of the 13 year old girl was the result of a civil suit, while the police captain's punishment was the result of a criminal trial.
Do you believe Nelson got the punishment she deserved at that "criminal" trial?
Do you believe Nelson got the punishment she deserved at that "criminal" trial?
A police captain should be held to a higher standard of behavior than others. I think the punishment was far too lenient.
This judge has got to be on the take.
Well, they say "A stiff (expletive deleted) has no conscience". Maybe a hot (expletive deleted) has no brain". ;)
Yes, I think you're right - some judge probably got his Mercedes payments guaranteed for quite a while.
Fair enough. But after 29 years on the force, a 52-year-old captain turns to a life of crime right out of the blue? I don't believe it. There's more and I suspect Fitzgerald is letting her off easy because she knows where too many bodies are buried. Her ex-con boyfriend hasn't even been charged and that's in a 3-strikes state. Was this a set-up? Was she already under suspicion in the department? She says she was introduced to Monroy through other cops. I think there's a lot more going on here.
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