The local prosecutor in Tampa, FL has decided not to file any criminal charges in the radio stunt gone wrong in December 2009 that had a van burning out of control in the Clear Channel Radio parking lot.
Instead, the Tampa Tribune reports that host Todd Schnitt and two other staffers of the syndicated “MJ Morning Show,” which originates from WFLZ-FM, will enter a pre-trial diversion program for first-time offenders. They will have to perform community service at local charities supporting fire and burn victims and they, along with Clear Channel, will donate at least $15,000 to those charities.
The state fire marshal’s office had wanted criminal charges to be filed, citing the reported injury to a firefighter in putting out the blaze. The prosecutor, however, determined that the circumstances didn’t meet the legal definition of arson.
