Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a classic movie that reminds everyone that “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” And while it’s important to take a break from your hectic life every now and again, you’re a lot better off not directly following in Ferris’ footsteps –that is, unless you want to stop and enjoy life from behind bars. As it turns out, Ferris breaks quite a few laws on his one day off. Here’s a quick rundown of the crimes of Ferris Bueller.
Truancy is a Crime
One of the most immediately obvious examples of law breaking in the film is truancy. While Ferris, as a high school senior, is likely over the age of 18 in the film and Cameron was already excused from school by his father, Sloan was a minor and willingly played her part in tricking the administrators to let her out of class. Of course, this is a relatively minor crime compared to the rest of the the crimes of Ferris Bueller.
Hacking into a School’s Computer System and Fraud
Even if Ferris was legally old enough to escape truancy charges, the fact that he hacked into the school’s computer system to change his attendance record is still a matter of computer fraud and altering public records. These two charges would most likely both be felonies since computer crimes are taken so seriously in California. It is also possible that Ferris could face additional false impersonation charges for impersonating Abe Froman, “The Sausage King of Chicago,” at the posh restaurant Chez Quis.
Grand Theft Auto
Easily the biggest of all the crimes of Ferris Bueller though is the theft of Cameron’s father’s 1961 Ferrari GT. While most people believe that the kids’ use of the car would constitute grand theft auto, the fact that Ferris and Cameron always intended to bring the car back means that they would actually be guilty of the lesser crime of the unlawful taking or driving of a vehicle, aka joyriding. Even so, the crime would still be a felony punishable by up to 3 years in prison. With the help of a skilled criminal defense lawyer, the District Attorney or judge might agree to charge the crime as a misdemeanor since it was taken solely for the purpose of a joyride.
When it comes to Cameron’s destruction of the Ferrari, the penalty would ultimately depend on whether or not Cameron’s dad chose to punish him privately or press charges against his own son. If he did decide to press charges, Cameron could face up to three years in prison and $50,000 in fines for destroying the car.
Accessories to the Crimes
Of course, it wouldn’t just be the crimes of Ferris and Cameron at fault for their particular parts of the crimes each boy committed themselves, Sloan and the two boys could also be charged as accessories to one another’s crimes. All in all, this one day out could result in some serious criminal penalties, including lengthy jail or prison sentences, and all of the kids should immediately contact some skilled attorneys.
Would Ferris End Up in Jail?
Since all of these crimes are presumably first offenses, then the judge would likely grant Bueller and his comrades probation and give them alternatives to jail or up to a year in jail. Although most of these crimes would be charged as felonies, Ferris likely wouldn’t be sent to prison because of his youth and lack of record.
The bottom line? Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a great movie, but while it’s good to take time to appreciate life, living out the story itself is a really bad idea. If you do, however, end up doing something illegal while just trying to live life to the fullest, Peter M. Liss can help. Please call (760) 643-4050 or (858) 486-3024 to schedule a free initial consultation.
Creative Commons Image by chicagogeek
