Police Drop Theft Charges Against Pub Non-Tippers [Good News]

Police in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, are withdrawing charges against the two college students who refused to tip at a pub last month, says The Morning Call.

The Northampton County District Attorney, John Morganelli, first found out about the arrests in the news, and made a recommendation last week that the charges be dropped. "I had recommended that the case be withdrawn, but that ultimately was a decision of the Bethlehem Police Department," he told the paper.

The manager of the pub sounded a bit surprised at the news:

Lehigh Pub manager William Sheehan said Monday it was "news to him" that the charges were being withdrawn.

He read a comment he said was written by the pub's attorney.

"We do not agree with the facts as presented in the press last week," Sheehan said. "This is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Bethlehem Police Department, not Lehigh Pub, and we will defer to them as the legal process plays out."

One issue that was brought up last week, and is mentioned in this article again, is that the gratuity worked out to about 22% of the bill, and not the 18% that the pub claimed. Whether that's explained by error, greed, or some detail that hasn't yet been revealed, it's a good example of why you should always calculate the tip yourself and make sure it matches what's on the final bill.

"DA: Police to withdraw theft charges against non-tippers" [The Morning Call] (Thanks to Jason!)

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