Man Swaps Halloween Jail Costume for Real Jumpsuit

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on November 08, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Pennsylvania man Anthony James "Jinx" Law, 26, did something completely unbefitting of his last name: he committed a crime.

And ironically, he did so while dressed up in a black-and-white Halloween jail costume. Maybe he knew exactly where he was going to end up that night, and decided to preemptively dress the part.

Cops were sent over to investigate an abandoned vehicle late Halloween night. When they arrived, Law started to run from well, the law.

Officers managed to subdue the costumed 26-year-old by using a stun gun and pepper spray.

His 22-year-old companion, Gregory Moon, was also arrested. Moon was also dressed in a black-and-white jail costume, according to UPI.

Police searched the vehicle and found a stolen pistol in the front passenger seat.

Now, keep in mind that the Fourth Amendment generally prohibits unlawful search and seizures. During routine traffic stops, police generally don't have the right to search your vehicle.

That is, unless you do something suspicious enough for them to suspect you're doing something criminal.

One way to accomplish this? Run away from them when they arrive. Since Law fled from the scene, his behavior likely created enough reasonable suspicion for the police officers to search.

And it's not like they really needed much to go on. The stolen gun was on the front passenger seat, meaning it was in plain view. Police generally don't need a warrant in order to seize these types of evidence.

Moon and Law both have criminal histories, including a gang connection. Both were remanded to jail on a $250,000 bond. Unfortunately, they were unable to keep their Halloween jail costumes. Luckily they were given regular jail jumpsuits upon arrival.

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard