Jeffrey Jones appears in court in real-life drama!
I was saddened to read in the morning daily that Jeffrey Jones (Amadeus) was charged with a felony for failing to update his registration as an alleged "sex offender".
A what, you say?
Startling, indeed, when you consider that Jones soared into the hearts of many film fans with his hilarious portrayal of the school principal in the hit comedy - "Ferry Bueller's Day Off " (which starred Mathew Broderick).
In 2003, as part of a plea bargain - and in addition to 5 years probation - Jeffrey was ordered to regularly register with the state as a "sex offender" on his birthday each year and participate in a counseling program.
The seasoned actor pled "no contest" to inducing a fourteen-year-old boy to pose for sexually explicit photos.
Personally, I was shocked by the whole scenario that went down.
I have known Jeffrey for over thirty years.
In my younger days, when I resided in Vancouver (B.C.), Jones often appeared in Shakesperean productions in one-line roles (playing guards and messengers and the like).
I actually attended one of those earlier stage presentations as Jeffrey's guest.
As his fledgling career took off - boy, did it! - he ended up taking up residence in the upper West Side of New York City (if I recall correctly).
In 1973-1974, I pursued stage work in the "Big apple" for a brief stint.
Regular readers of this blog will recall that I have written about my appearance in a "Hot Peaches" off-off-Broadway" production titled "The Magic Hype" (a side-splitting spoof on Warhol & his factory "stars").
One day out-of-the-blue, Jeffrey called and invited me to attend a sold-out performance by the legendary Bette Midler at the Palace (Barry Manilow on piano) fresh from the Continental Baths (a trendy gay bathouse frequented by the tony elite in NYC).
Although I was not a close personal friend of Jeff's, I had a few glimpses into his private life.
For a duration, he maintained a monogamous relationship with a young man who was definitely not underage!
So, with that in mind, understandably the "sex offender" charges appeared to be outlandish (and - no pun intended - out of character).
Needless to say, for his own reasons, Jeff chose to negotiate a plea bargain.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Jones failed to renew his registration with the State within five days of his last birthday (September 28/2009).
After a brief hearing, Jones was released on $20,000.00 bail.
A future hearing will determine his fate.
In view of the foregoing, I have to shake my head in disbelief.
Like Lindsay Lohan who flagrantly thumbs her nose at the court, Jeffrey may have chosen to ignore (or did he simply forget to register?) the terms and conditions of his plea bargain agreement - and consequently - now faces additional fines and penalties (possible jail time?).
Frankly, I think it's tragic.
Once a defendant gets entrapped in the court's web (due to their own inability to emotional cope or what-have-you) they usually get caught up in an undertown in the legal system that is difficult to break free from.
Hopefully, on those occasions, the court shows mercy!
Jones as "The Emperor" in Amadeus
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