As with many serious offenses, the people of Binghampton -- the rough and dangerous neighborhood where Penny grew up -- have collective amnesia when it comes to specific charges: something about a high-speed chase, his car might've struck an officer, he might've resisted arrest -- you know, ordinary stuff.
But perhaps most important has been the weak GDP growth that has kept consumer spending at a low level, a particularly rough condition for smaller, start-up businesses.