Hey I was wondering, according to the events of the movie, Shouldn't Cal have to go to jail for attempted murder. I mean while Rose was telling her story she said " That the crash of 28 hit his interest hard and he put a pistol in his mouth that year." meaning that there were no charges against him for trying to kill both her and Jack. Certainley she may have opted to not press charges but there were certainley other wittnesses to the shooting... Any comments.....

-- jesse fontes (jestercw@gte.net), March 11, 1998

Answers

Hi Jesse,

I doubt there would have been any survivors that witnessed Cal trying to shoot Rose and Jack as the ship was sinking fast, when he was chasing them.

Rose didn't want Cal to know that she was still alive and pursuing attempted murder would have advertised the fact that she had survived.

No, Rose was rid of Cal, and nothing could have induced her to contact him or anyone else associated with that fateful cruise.

-- Peter Edmead (peter.edmead@deetya.gov.au), March 11, 1998.

Jessie,

I agree with Peter. In addition, there was so much commotion going on with people trying to save their own lives, honestly, there probably wouldn't have been anybody who would've noticed or cared. At that point, I'm sure everyone was thinking "every man for himself". Plus, it probably would have wound up as just another gun shot heard among many that night (it's interesting how human behaviour changes under great stress).

-- Michael (foo@bar.com), March 12, 1998.

This was certainly a thought provoking question and I'd have to join everyone in agreeing with you on this one Peter. I think most of the people who witnessed the shooting went down with the ship as they were the ones on the Grand Staircase. Otherwise, it'll just be an issue of proving intent to kill.

While we're on the subject of what we might charge Cal with (incidentally he could be tried in the UK because the ship sank in the high seas and so jurisdiction is governed by the ship's flag, unless there is some US law which governs the acts of US citizens while they are passengers of foreign ships on the high seas), what about: assault and battery when he knocked the table over, slapped Rose and clocked Fabrizio (?) with that oar. Conspiracy as to: fraud and theft (in having the diamond planted on Jack). Bribery. Or conspiring to defame Jack's good name.

In other words we may as well throw the book at him, for being so positively beastly. Best stop before I get too carried away!

-- Simon (ia501060@ntu.ac.uk), March 13, 1998.

No way.Cal should not have gone to jail.He was way to good looking to have been sent to jail. ...OK,all of you die hard Leo fans can send me hate mail now...

-- Ana (foo@bar.com), March 15, 1998.

In order to be charged with a crime, someone must file a criminal complaint with the legal authorities. The only person who could have done this was Rose. However, the other principals involved who could have corroborated her story, Jack and Lovejoy, were dead. The physical evidence (the ship, the spent bullets and casings, and probably the gun) was irretreivably lost, so it would have come down to her word against his. I doubt that any criminal charges would ever be filed in such a situation.

In short, even if Rose had filed a complaint, it is highly unlikely that anything would have resulted; she would have lost her anonymity, and might have subjected herself to a theft charge for the necklace.

Cheers!

-- Kip Henry (kip-henry@ouhsc.edu), March 15, 1998.

You all are forgetting one thing, Old Rose says that she had never told anyone about Jack, so she couldn't have pressed charges. Also, she doesn't want to see Cal ever again and if she were to press charges, she would be forced to meet Cal again and see her mother and go back to being a "1st class girl" wich she don't want at all.

-- Josh H. (Josh1@ntcnet.com), March 22, 1999.

three words: STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

-- no one (foo@bar.com), March 22, 1999.