FAQ for
"Seinfeld" (1990) More at IMDbPro »

Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer are on trial under the Good Samaritan law after witnessing a fat guy getting robbed and doing nothing about it (Kramer even videotaped it and their mocking remarks).

They are found guilty and are sent to prison for a year. Jerry does stand-up in prison.

Believe it or not, George isn't at home Please leave a message at the beep! I must be out, or I'd pick up the phone, Where could I be? Believe it or not, I'm not home!

It was long touted that, since there was no year 0, the new millennium would start 1/1/2001. So the Millennium New Year's Eve would be 12/31/2000. However, the calendar turning over to 2000 became the popular celebration of the millennium, so the popular New Year's Eve celebration was 12/31/99. So Newman's party would be technically right on time, at least according to the previous conventional wisdom, if the hotel made his "Millennium New Year" reservation on 12/31/00. Thus Newman's reservation does not conflict with the party Kramer is planning for December 31, 1999, but will be perceived as one year late and "quite lame" according to Jerry, as the majority of people will be celebrating the new millennium on December 31, 1999. Jerry's "one year late" remark was simply to annoy Newman by showing him that his reservation doesn't match his expectations.

Alternative explanation:

Newman believed the millennium to commence 1/1/2000, as he told Kramer: "...he's out of my life, starting in the year 2000. For me, the next millennium must be Jerry-free!" Furthermore, it was established that Kramer's Millennium party was scheduled for 12/31/1999, and Kramer becomes upset upon learning that Newman's party is on the same date. Thus, the invitations for Newman's party indicated 12/31/1999. If, when Newman made a "millennium new year" reservation, the hotel booked it for 12/31/2000 instead of 12/31/1999, his HOTEL RESERVATION will be 1 year late, as the date on the invitations (and thus the party) is for 12/31/1999. So the party is on 12/31/1999, but the hotel reservation will be 12/31/2000...so the people attending the party will find themselves without a place...

Kramer and Newman decide to combine their parties, on 12/31/99, effectively mooting the whole question.

Apparently neither Jerry nor anyone connected with the episode has commented on this. They don't mention it on the DVD bonus materials.

In "The Finale" the four observe a robbery, and do nothing. They are arrested for violating a Good Samaritan Law.

Good Samaritan Laws are often confused with a duty to rescue. In the U.S., there is generally no duty to rescue. Good Samaritan Laws refer, instead, to "protecting from blame those who choose to aid others who are injured or ill. They are intended to reduce bystanders' hesitation to assist, for fear of being sued or prosecuted for unintentional injury."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Samaritan_law

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duty_to_rescue

The gang is arrested in Massachusetts, see Massachusetts exception in Duty To Rescue link. This law creates a duty to report, but not a duty to aid. Chapter 268, section 40 provides "Whoever knows that another person is a victim of aggravated rape, rape, murder, manslaughter or armed robbery and is at the scene of said crime shall, to the extent that said person can do so without danger or peril to himself or others, report said crime to an appropriate law enforcement official as soon as reasonably practicable." "These laws are also referred to as Good Samaritan laws, despite their difference from laws of the same name that protect individuals that try to help another person. These laws are rarely applied, and are generally ignored by citizens and lawmakers." --Wikipedia.

Larry David said, on the Season 9 DVD featurette "The Last Lap," that the germ of the idea for the Finale came from a law he heard about in France. Clearly, the philosophical and legal concepts of a duty to rescue someone to whom you have no special relationship vary around the world. This is a very interesting area of philosophy and law; however, the Finale does not portray an accurate representation of U.S. law.

When he started out as a comedian, Jerry sold umbrellas to support himself. By the time the series starts, he is supporting himself through his comedy. In Season 4 he unsuccessfully attempts to become a sitcom writer and actor (the ill-fated pilot Jerry).

George started the series working as a real estate agent, then for a real estate-transaction services firm (Rick Bahr Properties). Later, he works briefly for a rest stop-supply company (Sanalac), Elaine's company (Pendant Publishing), parked cars outside Jerry's building, as worked as a hand model, and then assistant to the traveling secretary of the New York Yankees (his longest held job during the course of the series). After the Yankees, he has short stints at a playground-equipment company (Play Now), at an industrial smoothing company (Kruger Industrial Smoothing), and a computer salesman (for his father). In Season 4 he works with Jerry on the pilot Jerry, and also tries to set up a shoe-importing business in season 6.

Elaine's job is not mentioned in seasons 1; she works at Pendant Publishing from seasons 2 to 5. She then becomes personal assistant to Justin Pitt, and after that works as a writer for the J. Peterman Catalog. She ran the catalog for a ten-episode span, when Mr. Peterman took an unexpected and unscheduled vacation.

Kramer is usually unemployed, with no clear means of support, but has on occasion been an actor, a lifeguard, a department store Santa, a decoy in a police lineup, a bagel technician, underwear model, and a writer. His entrepreneurship includes the apparently unsuccessful Kramerica Industries, The J. Peterman Reality Tour, and brief, failed attempts at developing a male support garment (the "bro" or "mansiere"), and a rickshaw business. He also wins $18,000 on a horse racing bet in one episode ("The Subway").

Newman is a mailman, and also tries to set up a rickshaw business with Kramer.

Morty Seinfeld is a retired raincoat salesman.

Frank Costanza was an Army cook during the Korean War, and also sold Christian artifacts for a living.