Two years after pissing off countless L.A. motorists with a publicity stunt that created a massive traffic jam on the 101 freeway, Garden Grove rap-rock band Imperial Stars pleaded no contest Monday to several charges, including conspiracy. They were each given probation sentences but no jail time. We're still convinced that the song itself was the most criminal part of this whole situation.
Band members Christopher Roy Wright, 34; David Paul Hale, 32; and Keith R. Yackey, 33–made an open plea before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Norm Shapiro to felony conspiracy counts as well as misdemeanor charges of public nuisance and interfering with law enforcement. They were immediately sentenced to three months formal probation and 35 days of community service (freeway trash pick-up sounds appropriate, doesn't it?). Despite objections from prosecutors, the band members could each have their felony convictions reduced to misdemeanors in 18 months.
See Also:
*Imperial Stars Face Charges for Freeway Stunt
*Imperial Stars: Arrested For Disturbing the Peace, Now Out of Jail and Seeking Dinner Dates in Hollywood Tonight
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It seemed like only yesterday, these wannabe rockstars were jamming the
101 freeway during morning rush hour on October 12, 2012. That morning, a
panel truck with the band's logo on it parked horizontally across all
but one lane of the southbound freeway at Sunset Blvd. The band's 15
minutes (20 minutes tops) of fame allowed the band to jump on top of
the truck to play their unimpressive, aptly-titled track “Traffic Jam
101.” The truck driver fled with the keys while the band performed a
concert atop the truck, complete with its own film crew. According to
the L.A. Times, the traffic jam backed up all the way to the San
Fernando Valley. The band was quickly swarmed by Los Angeles Police
Department officers as well as California Highway Patrol and Fire
Department personnel and the band were taken into custody. These days, it's unclear whether or not the band are still performing.
But
if you're interested in reliving a few minutes of this dumb-ass stunt and terrible song
(as far as we can tell, the band won't be playing it publicly again
anytime soon), check out the videos below.
The stunt:
The song:
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