The subway ad altering artist known as Poster Boy is in lots of trouble and this time community service was not an option. A source tells us he was sentenced to 11 months in jail by a Brooklyn judge this morning. Henry Matyjewicz was taken into custody immediately and will be sent to Rikers Island. Last week, the judge made a ruling in his favor that would have allowed him to avoid jail time, but since he didn’t show, that ruling has been voided and now he’s screwed. Free Poster Boy? UPDATE: We contacted Poster Boy’s attorney, Kerry Gotlib, and he gave us some insights into what went down.
Although PB did miss his May 6th court date he did come in the following day around 2PM on May 7th to apologize, however the court wasn’t hearing any of that and he was taken into custody. He spent the weekend at Rikers and it was this morning that he was sentenced to the 11 months. “It was unwarranted,” says Gotlib, who promised to absolutely appeal the “shocking decision.” He was expected to get 3 years probation, not jail time.
Serves his dumbass right. Enjoy Rikers.
"Last week, the judge made a ruling in his favor that would have allowed him to avoid jail time, but since he didn’t show…"
He didn't show up? Sorry. no sympathy for the ignorant.
what a shame. i was a big fan of his work. i guess untouched advertising is a tough pill to swallow.
11 months in jail? For defacing the dehumanizing trash called ads that we face in our 'public' transportation systems? He should be given a medal. But yes, he should have showed up to his court date.
FUCK THE MTA
Fuck the mta for sure, there going to hell. This dude is not cut out for rikers. Get it, cut out. Real bad joke. The law is getting insane. 1 in a hundred american adults are in jail. Fuck the mta and the police state.
this is bullshit. Regardless if he didn't show, this is such bullshit sentence. 11 months for cutting up ads is retarded even by justice reasons.
How did this country get to a point where people running banks rob people blind and leave our NYC (and rest of the country) in shambles while an artist does a public service and ends up getting his ass handed to him.
This makes me pissed off.
come on now? 11 months at rikers for defacing advertisements that sell nothing but junk? are you kidding me? looks like some of you have fallen into the system….
Agreed. This is ridiculous.
Regardless of the fact he didn't show up for his court date. Brainless on his part but not worth 11 months jail time. People are so backwards.
Jeenkies!! 11 months in the Rikers?! I'm glad arizona isn't that harsh on criminal damage.. But they obviously threw the book at him for missing his original court date.. But now he's chillin with those crazies and hard core violent criminals, like the ones on law and order.. No lol on that shit..
Just FYI, here is a list of people who got 11 months for far worse crimes:
Ex Attorney Gerard Marks – crime was forgery of judge signature
Teenage kid who go 11 months for killing his friend during drag race.
Scott Herald Ford : one count of unauthorized access of a computer network (Law Enforcement Information Network), a five-year felony; and two counts of refusal to aid the sheriff, both of which are 90-day misdemeanors. He got 11 months.
You want to tell me that THOSE hard crimes get 11 months as well? Really? Forgery, death and a 5-year felony fall under the same umbrella as vandalism?
…and that's why you always show up to court.
J Walter Weatherman
Yeah, fuck the advertising! I'll pay an extra $300 a year when the companies pull out so some guy who doesn't show up to court can do what he wants. Oh wait…
11months for that
i just cant believe this
why dont just brand him with a swastika and shave it into his head
A lot of you guys are missing the point — he wasn't even going to get 11 months. He was going to walk away, & probably go back to his "art". But he couldn't even be bothered to show up for court. he didn't get 11 months for making collages — he got it for acting like he was above the law.
He fought the law, and the law won. As always. Moron.
He's too pretty for Rikers.
i donlt really like the work but dig the idea–fuck off mta and advertising and all that—but if memory serves this is a second charge, and i totally agree with the sentiment that the courts don;t fuck around…if you diss the judge, he/she is gonna come at you hard. and does it make it worse he showed up the next day to appologize? i've been popped for way worse and did way less time. maybe it doesn;t matter to him to lose a years worth of pay and possibly the day gig (join the facebook group/sign up for the upcoming show/movie/book)….i for one woulda been in the court with a suit over the hoodie and a few stickers and my knife key-peep the bathroom/courtroom/line to pay the fee AND been right out bangin the "man" within the week.
TOY
I agree with ktg. People who fight the law, are going to lose. It amazes me that people even try, sometimes. He didn’t get the 11 months for doing what he did, he got the 11 months for what he didn’t do; he was told to go to court and didn’t. I’m going to guess this was a personal decision on his part, not something that was inevitable. Maybe now he’ll learn to not fight the law and if this happens again he’ll be more mature. People are SERIOUSLY lacking maturity nowadays it seems…
Fuck the cops and court system. He gets thrown in jail for 11 months for defacing some stupid posters? The jail sentences are way way too harsh in this country. “…and that’s why you always show up to court.” Because if u dont, the fucking gestapo will have any way they want with you and you have no say in the matter.
People need to keep in mind that he didn’t get 11 months for defacing advertisements. He got 11 months for missing his court date to accept a sentence that would have been much less.
No sympathy for the lazy!
wow my name looks messed up. it doesn’t help when the name/email fields force all-caps when viewing them
People.. he did NOT get thrown in jail for 11 months for defacing posters. He got thrown in jail for 11 months for DITCHING HIS COURT DATE LIKE AN IDIOT.
i said this a while ago that when his toy ass finaly gets caught that his work is not worth going to jail for so hopefully he comes out with some balls an keeps on or else hel be just another one of them art fags who try to be hip and end up falling to the real life of things have fun in rikers
And what about BANKSY, he is already making his art watchfull in all around the states….hopefully CIA, FBI and all this bunch of Nazis cant find him,….this is another example of what this world its going to be….
NEW WORLD ORDER is here people, wake up!!!
or will be too late….
Ah ffs, 11 months? Thats heavy handed for missing a court date.
advertisment is just paid vandalism. think about it. they're everywhere. but then again, many are so accustomed to it. so when artists distort the "reality" of a "pretty" ad, they are considered vandals. LOL! missing a court date doesn't justify 11 months in prison. come on now? many serious crimes are given far less time.
oh, corporate america… you have done well to hypnotize the public!
What a moron! He got what he deserved. Can’t be bothered to show up for your court appearance? Enjoy Rikers, idiot!
For the reading challenged…once again, he was going to get off with probation for defacing, but since he couldn’t be troubled to show up for his sentencing, he got a far worse punishment. Seems fair to me!
maybe its about time for everyone to play along with posterboys idea in his absence and set out on a "Free Posterboy" run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP1hXTlQXhc – listen and learn.
If anything its only going to make him stronger or make him stop that will be his call.
When you have a court date, you might want to set an alarm clock. Turns out it is one of those appointments you don't show up late for, even if all you are doing is some graffiti.
Fuck MTA!, Fuck fat and stupid cops! and Fuck those full of shit, living in oblivion judges! The guy deserves a medal, not long jail time.
No one has made the point yet that advertisement helps fund the MTA. That money has to come from somewhere, folks. If it's not from the fares or taxes you pay, then it's from corporations hoping to market their products to you.
And one more thing: societies have to hold consistent values, folks. And a society which allows anyone to deface anyone else's property at any time is not one you'd want to live in, trust me.
MTA = money taketh away…
There is already a movement to FREE POSTER BOY ….
And it's here on Facepage:
http://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GROUP.PHP?GID=10708784600…
WTF!! obama please save him as you saved the traders ;)