Arrested for not Leaving Tip

Service would have to be pretty bad for me to not leave a tip. If I took the radical step of not leaving a tip, I don't believe the cops should be called to arrest me.

Bethlehem couple arrested for not leaving tip at Lehigh Pub

When Leslie Pope and John Wagner decided to drop by happy hour at the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pa. with six friends, they had no idea that their visit would end with them handcuffed, in the back of a police car.
The couple and their friends amassed a $73 bill that they had no problem paying, but the service was so poor that they refused to cough up the mandatory 18% tip. They say they waited almost an hour for chicken fingers and fries and Pope had to go to the bar to get napkins, silverware and refills on her soda because the server was missing in action. After explaining the service shortcomings to the bartender in charge, and offering payment for food, beverage and tax, Pope claims that the bartender took their money and called the police.
When the law arrived, the couple was handcuffed, placed in the back of a police car and later charged with theft.
Bethlehem’s Police Commissioner, Stuart Bedics, stated that the police would prefer to have not been involved, but the couple was arrested for theft because the gratuity was deemed a part of the bill. He does not think the charges will hold up in court.
The question remains: Will the court ruling set precedent in the service industry that restaurants can arbitrarily make tipping mandatory?
As it stands, parties of six or more are often times mandated to pay gratuity of anywhere from 15% to 20%.
If the charges against Pope and Wagner stand and not tipping becomes an enforceable offense, will servers relax service on tables with a tip mandate to attend to those smaller parties that can stiff them at will?
We will not know until Pope and Wagner appear in court next month.
But until then, if you feel burned by bad service at a restaurant, think again before you choose not to tip. You may be in for more than a hard look from the server!

http://www.examiner.com/x-29433-DC-Restaurant-News-Examiner~y2009m11d19-Couple-arrested-for-not-leaving-tip