What to do, potential criminal charges.

[gnatwest]

Also if the police ask you to go the station. I would recommend NOT going. If they were serious about arresting you they would get a warrant and do it. Going there makes it too easy. Its like consenting to a search, no good can come of it so dont do it.

[promac]

Blame the victim much?

I'm not blaming the victim - just pointing out the possibility that the OP's buddy may end up a victim of criminal mischief and an extortion attempt. Why else would a victim of crime contact the alleged thief? Why wouldn't she have demanded that amount of money and the purse in the first place? Why would she leave $1,000 unattended in a bar? It just doesn't add up. Payback? Hell hath no fury like the scorn of a woman! Now that makes a lot more sense when you consider the sequence of events.

Then there's the issue of the OP's buddy being blackout drunk in a bar. Will there be issues with the LLBO?

Had I been the victim, I would have reported the theft to the police and let them do their job. I believe it is an offence in itself to ask for the return of stolen property, no questions asked. You have to see the potential conflict of interest and potential for abuse in "return my property or else!" It's extortion.

[tribal250]

I'm not sure about this. You dont go and they issue a warrent, next thing u know is ur driving down the street a cop pulls up behind u, pulls u over, u get arrested and u gotta pay for the towing and impund fees, on top of everything. Not sure if that is smart advice
plus u might as well get it over with. If they issue a warrent its not like its going to go away by itself. no point of ducking it at that point

Also if the police ask you to go the station. I would recommend NOT going. If they were serious about arresting you they would get a warrant and do it. Going there makes it too easy. Its like consenting to a search, no good can come of it so dont do it.

[wearelopey]

Question: how would one find out if they had an arrest warrant out for them?

[tribal250]

u dont u have to go down to the station and ask. The reason they wont tell u is if u do have one ull be inclined to possibly run.

Question: how would one find out if they had an arrest warrant out for them?

[gnatwest]

I'm not sure about this. You dont go and they issue a warrent, next thing u know is ur driving down the street a cop pulls up behind u, pulls u over, u get arrested and u gotta pay for the towing and impund fees, on top of everything. Not sure if that is smart advice
plus u might as well get it over with. If they issue a warrent its not like its going to go away by itself. no point of ducking it at that point

What Im saying is if they have enough to arrest you and want to persue this then they will come to your house and do it. If you dont go there its possible they will say its too much of a hassle. If you go there yourself 100% you will be arrested so why not just see if they come get you. - Odds are good they wont.

[turbodish]

What Im saying is if they have enough to arrest you and want to persue this then they will come to your house and do it. If you dont go there its possible they will say its too much of a hassle. If you go there yourself 100% you will be arrested so why not just see if they come get you. - Odds are good they wont.

If there are grounds to arrest you, the police won't be "discouraged" from doing so just because you avoided going to the station.

[tribal250]

again bad idea. check my post above

What Im saying is if they have enough to arrest you and want to persue this then they will come to your house and do it. If you dont go there its possible they will say its too much of a hassle. If you go there yourself 100% you will be arrested so why not just see if they come get you. - Odds are good they wont.

[promac]

If you don't hear anything, I wouldn't go asking for trouble - let it be. If the police call you and ask you to come down to the station, you should do that and have a lawyer present. If they do charge you, you may have to arrange bail - something to think about now. If they have to come after you, what will that say to the judge?

[?spoc]

Also if the police ask you to go the station. I would recommend NOT going. If they were serious about arresting you they would get a warrant and do it. Going there makes it too easy. Its like consenting to a search, no good can come of it so dont do it.

^^^ That is poor advice; and heres why:

Where does your friend work?
Where does he go to school?
What kind of car does he drive?
Where does he live? His Girlfriend? Grandma?

When you don't turn yourself in and you "hide" you risk getting arrested in front of your peers or coworkers. Get pulled over on a traffic stop? Your car just got towed and impounded. Your home address is the first place they will check. Now mom and dad know, then they check the girlfriends and grandmas house. Now some of your family thinks your a dirtbag. He ****ed up, if they are going to arrest him he may as well make it easier, cheaper, and less embarrassing. Also if the warrant goes outstanding for enough time, the officer will make a case to send him to bail court (flight risk), if he gets arrested on a friday he probably wont get out till monday. If he turns himself in on a theft charge he will probably get released within hours if he hasnt been a turd prior to this.

Take home message here: Take internet advice with a grain of salt, hell what do i know, im just some guy behind a screen.

[AdRath]

Why would she leave $1,000 unattended in a bar?

Why would someone risk jail time stealing a purse without much money in it? How do you know it was unattended? Obviously the area the purse was is monitored by camera as that is how they caught the D-bag.

Thieves are scum. You lose all credibility once you steal someone else's property and only seem to care when caught. This isn't some 13 year old being stupid... This was an adult who thought they would steal someones hard earned money and property. This lesson is going to hurt and I hope it does.

[promac]

Why would someone risk jail time stealing a purse without much money in it? How do you know it was unattended? Obviously the area the purse was is monitored by camera as that is how they caught the D-bag.

The guy was severely impaired and did something stupid - just like impaired drivers. Hypothetically, lets say I owned a shotgun and I left it loaded on my picnic table in the backyard, while I went to the beer store to get more beer. Why would somewone risk a mandatory 2 year jail sentence for stealing or messing with the loaded gun? Would the police charge me under CC section 86 with careless storage? You bet! Careless is a measure relating to what the reasonable person would do. Money's really no different.........although there is no danger to others, it is just as desirable, if not moreso - it's a means to acquire anything dangerous.

The reasonable person in the bartenders case would not leave a purse with $1,000 cash in it unattended. Therefore, it is careless. Everyone knows they have to take reasonable precautions to safeguard their assets from theft. If I were the owner of the bar, I would fire the bartender. However, I don't believe the bartender was so careless as to leave $1,000 cash in the purse unattended, but did recognize an opportunity after the purse was returned to extort money out of the thief and steal cash from the bar owner. Yes, thieves are scum-sucking, piecies of ****, but this guy was severely impaired. I'm not saying that's an excuse, but it is what it is.

[turbodish]

Hypothetically, lets say I owned a shotgun and I left it loaded on my picnic table in the backyard, while I went to the beer store to get more beer. Why would somewone risk jail time stealing or messing with the loaded gun? Would the police charge me under CC section 86 with careless storage? You bet! Careless is a measure relating to what the reasonable person would do. The reasonable person in the bartenders case would not leave a purse with $1,000 cash in it unattended. Therefore, it is careless. Everyone knows they have to take reasonable precautions to safeguard their assets from theft. If I were the owner of the bar, I would fire the bartender. However, I don't believe the bartender was so careless as to leave $1,000 cash in the purse unattended, but did recognize an opportunity after the purse was returned to extort money out of the thief. Yes, thieves are scum-sucking, piecies of ****, but this guy was severely impaired. I'm not saying that's an excuse, but it is what it is.

You're joking, right? Can you point out the part of the Criminal Code that pertains to careless storage of a purse?

If I leave a generator on my front lawn at night because I forgot to bring it in and someone steals it, is the person who took it somehow not a thief? Does my loss somehow become less because I forgot to bring it in? Does the thief now get to keep my generator because I forgot?

Come one now. This is almost analogous to blaming a rape victim for wearing a short skirt while walking in a questionable part of town at night. Stupid maybe, but the guilt still falls squarely on the one who committed the wrong.

[promac]

You're joking, right? Can you point out the part of the Criminal Code that pertains to careless storage of a purse?

If I leave a generator on my front lawn at night because I forgot to bring it in and someone steals it, is the person who took it somehow not a thief? Does my loss somehow become less because I forgot to bring it in? Does the thief now get to keep my generator because I forgot?

Come one now. This is almost analogous to blaming a rape victim for wearing a short skirt while walking in a questionable part of town at night. Stupid maybe, but the guilt still falls squarely on the one who committed the wrong.

I'm just using CC S86 as a benchmark for a reasonable standard of care for something else. The theft of the purse is a crime and the thief will likely burn for it. However, people need to understand that they need to take some responsibility for safeguarding their possessions from thieves. The two most significant components relating to crime are opportunity and justification. You, as an individual, can control the opportunity..........and so you should, if you don't want to get raped or have your generator stolen.

[turbodish]

Your Honour, my victim was careless and made me steal the purse. Because she was careless, it's not my fault that I can't account for the $1,000 that she claims was in the purse when I stole it.

[promac]

Your Honour, my victim was careless and made me steal the purse. Because she was careless, it's not my fault that I can't account for the $1,000 that she claims was in the purse when I stole it.

No, that's not the point. The thief is going down for stealing the purse, so what difference does it make? The evidence is quite clear and compelling. However, there may be no proof, other than the victim's word, that there was $1,000 cash in the purse. He's probably going to have to repay the $1,000 he allegedly stole as well. I just pointing out that he might have been "scammed" for that amount, given the circumstances.

[Kibosh3]

Your Honour, my victim was careless and made me steal the purse. Because she was careless, it's not my fault that I can't account for the $1,000 that she claims was in the purse when I stole it.

promac just said that the thief will have to take accountability for his actions... i do agree with if you don't want it stolen and is of high value, then act accordingly to protect it. and upon reading this, although the thief will suffer for stupid actions, don't you think it is possible that the victim is now trying to take advantage? your quote above just shows her power and upper-hand she may have on this guy's situation...one which she may want to exploit.

[turbodish]

and upon reading this, although the thief will suffer for stupid actions, don't you think it is possible that the victim is now trying to take advantage? your quote above just shows her power and upper-hand she may have on this guy's situation...one which she may want to exploit.

Sure, a victim "might" try to exploit the situation. However, you can't assume it. In absence of any evidence otherwise, it's not up to the victim to have to prove that they are not exploiting the situation.

Also, barring rare exceptions where there is a legal requirement to ensure safe and secure storage (such as firearms), there is certainly no requirement for a victim to prove that they took all reasonable measures to prevent the theft. In this one it all falls on the head of the thief.

[alaywa]

Would it hurt to walk into the station, not plead guilty but say he was so drunk he can't remember. Say that the footage is compelling and on her word alone and his shame for being so intoxicated he will offer to pay her $1500, and asks the police and victim for leniency and to drop the charges?

$1500 is a lot better than any lawyer fees and this good will could go someway to not even have the charges tacted to him.

Since he DID get cought stealing, he should take it like a man, and grovel on his knees before it gets worse. She can't claim rape or whiplash or trump it up anymore so just do the stand up thing I say. Stress that he can't remember much but that he is ashamed and so on. Take a condesending scolding and pay up and be done with it. If he is a stand up guy in other aspects of his life, i.e. good job, good grades, blah blah blah; they could go easy on him.

Maybe I'm just being naive but I would try the low key approach. At this point I wouldn't worry about self incrimination, he is pretty much nailed on CCTV. And you all know he stole, so why fight it and be a jerk about it? It will only embolden the victim and police, and you're hoping they goofed somewhere to get you off on a technicality.

Just my piddly $.02

[AdRath]

Where are all these thief defenders when a bike gets stolen. Leaving it in your condo parking is surely not taking enough precautions. They must take responsibility for having their bike stolen because it wasn't chained to the ground with a lojack.

See how stupid that sounds?

The thief put himself in the position where he could or couldn't be taken advantage of the victim. If he didn't steal the purse none of this could have happened.

I have no sympathy towards the scum who steals. Even if the victim is trying to get some extra out of him I have no issue as it was the thief who put her out by taking her property. He created the situation not her. To complain about it being unfair after you steal falls on def ears.