Kermit the Frog, Buzz Lightyear and Tinker Bell have all been scheduled to appear in the dock as a farce unfolded across English courts.
The cartoon caper has left the good (Mickey Mouse), the bad (Captain Hook) and the beautiful (Miss Piggy) – Kermit’s accomplice – all facing the music in court.
This brush with the law, however, is likely to end without convictions for some of the world's best-loved children's characters.
The listings appeared on official court documents published on Saturday, November 21 for Bradford, Leeds and Stoke crown courts.
Sorry for the error - we’ve been testing a new upgrade to our case management system and the names were created as test cases but should have been deleted before the lists were issued/published. Our local team has updated the final list online, removing the test names/cases.
— HM Courts and Tribunals Service (@HMCTSgovuk) November 11, 2020
The usually staid courts listing service has since issued an apology for the errors blamed on a system upgrade.
But the mix-up has perhaps won HM Courts & Tribunals Service, the body that lists which cases are heard in which court, some new fans, raising a few smiles as the cold winter starts drawing in.
For them, there's always the image of Bugs Bunny breaking rocks and doing time.
Cruella Deville was on the list – but, as the notorious villain in Disney's 101 Dalmatians, she quite conceivably committed the crime.
Other famous Muppet creations – Fozzie Bear, Dr Teeth and Camilla the Chicken – were all named in the court papers, while Donald Duck, Road Runner and Sleeping Beauty were also due to appear until the court service pulled the listings.