Popsquire

Heather Trujillo, one of the teens involved in the so-called “Mortal Kombat killing” entered a plea bargain and was sentenced today in Colorado.  She will be serving six years in Colorado’s “youthful offenders system.”

If she stays out of trouble in the juvenile system, she will be released after six years.  Otherwise, she will be locked away for 18 years.

16-year-old Trujillo was charged alongside 17-year-old Lamar Roberts for killing Trujillo’s 7-year-old half-sister by beating her with moves allegedly imitated from the “Mortal Kombat” video game.

Roberts’ trial is expected to take place later this summer, and Trujillo may serve as a witness against him.  Click here to watch video from the courtroom today.

Prior Popsquire Post…

Mortal Kombat Killers?

Technorati Tags: colorado youthful offenders, copycat, heather trujillo, lamar robers, law, mortal kombat killer, pop culture, pop culture law, video game, violence

One of Popsquire’s favorite blogs, ALL OF IT, recently posted a funny story about a legal disclaimer found on the High School Musical “Sing It!” karaoke edition game for the Nintendo Wii.  The disclaimer reads: 

WARNING! If you have a history of epilepsy or seizures, consult a doctor before use. Certain patterns may trigger seizures with no prior history.

Although this disclaimer may seem patently silly, Popsquire has discovered that they are standard for video games — not just those involving Zac and Vanessa.  As Popsquire posted a few weeks ago, the video game industry is controversial and entangled in various lawsuits.

In fact, a woman filed a lawsuit in March 2007 after her child suffered an epileptic seizure while playing Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly on a PS2 console.  Spyro came with a warning about the possibility of experiencing epileptic seizures “when exposed to certain light patterns or flashing lights.”

For more information about epilepsy and warnings about video games, here is an informative link.  And if you have an inappropriate sense of humor (like Popsquire), you might find this video funny.  Warning: you also may find it highly offensive. 

Two teens, Lamar Roberts (17) and Heather Trujillo (16) have been charged with killing Trujillo’s 7-year-old half-sister by beating her with moves allegedly imitated from the “Mortal Kombat” video game.

Colorado law carries a minimum sentence of 16 years, and many reports indicate that the teens could serve up to 48 years in prison.

Popsquire ponders…

Will a “copy cat” lawsuit against the video game company follow? This kind of case, based on negligence, typically would allege that the players were copying the activity they saw in the game and that the gaming company should have foreseen the violent effect.

I am not convinced that we can blame video games for this situation. Wanna convince me otherwise?

UPDATE: Trujillo was sentenced on July 3. Click here for details.

Technorati Tags: colorado, copy cat, gaming, heather trujillo, lamar roberts, lawsuit, litigation, mortal kombat, negligence, popsquire, russell wetanson, video game