Runaway Bride Indicted

[KK]

Originally posted by: y2kc
they simply should have billed her for the cost of the search and left it go.

did she sign anything authorizing a search?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: DonVito

I know. I fired off a scathing e-mail to the DA personally, because he is the one to blame here. What a douchebag. When this case is dismissed for lack of jurisdiction I may even contact the GA bar to recommend disciplinary proceedings. I really see this as an abuse of his office.

While you're at it can you send one to CNN asking for a firing of the person who thought it was news worthy to put on screen a list of the things that were in the runaway bride's wedding registry?

Done and done!

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: tami
i think she deserves her punishment, not for making false statements, but for all the resources that were pooled into the efforts of finding her. at this point, it's nothing but a lesson for her and for other people considering doing the same thing. i'm glad that her punishment started with her making these false statements. i hope she learns from her mistake.

i think her sentencing should also include mandatory psychotherapy, because the woman has issues.

What law did she break prior to making the false statements in Georgia? As an adult she has the absolute right to disappear if she wants to. Once again I feel compelled to point out that prior to 24X7 cable news coverage adults used to go missing all the time without massive searches being launched absent some physical evidence of foul play.

You're only saying this because SHE lied and ranaway. But if she was kidnapped and she was found again thanks to CNN's coverage, you would probably be singing a different tune.

Personally i don't have a problem with this. If i get bored of it, you know what i do? I change the channel!

 

[DainBramaged]

I vote for firing squad.

 

[Josh]

If you are a lawyer, you should realize by now that the United States law/judicial system is extremely fvcked up

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Josh
If you are a lawyer, you should realize by now that the United States law/judicial system is extremely fvcked up

It definitely has its bad moments, but on the whole I don't think anyone else has a better system. That said, idiots like this DA can go a long way toward screwing it up.

 

[y2kc]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: y2kc
they simply should have billed her for the cost of the search and left it go.

did she sign anything authorizing a search?

probably not, but she did call and report that she was abducted which warrants police action which included a search.

her lie dictated the actions that followed. she's liable in my opinion.

 

[waggy]

I have ZERO pity for her. I hope she gets stuck with a bill for all the time and manpower wasted for her BS.

i garee 5 years is a little harsh. but it wouldnt bother me if she got 6 months.

I want to see harder punishment for crap like this. She wasted thousands of tax payers money just because she got cold feet.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: Skoorb

She's not guilty with this, but she is guilty of something IMO. If you simply disappear and tell nobody where you've gone you need to expect the proper response to be a search effort. That is a waste of resources. You knew it would happen and if you simply ran away and people think you're missing because of it you need to be penalized.

So you are saying that it should be illegal for anyone just to leave and not tell anybody? You don't think it's her right to do that? I guess in your world we should all wear GPS collars so the government can track us.

If anybody is at fault for this, it's the media.

Depends on circumstances. Any reasonable person in her place should have expected a search, so yes in her case she needs to be held accountable for the entire search bill. That's a common sense approach.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: y2kc
they simply should have billed her for the cost of the search and left it go.

did she sign anything authorizing a search?

Who cares? if I crash my car and am unconscious and you break my window getting me out of it and then I send you a bill for breaking the window, are you going to pay it? I didn't tell you to break the window, or even ask for your help. It was assumed in that situation.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: y2kc
they simply should have billed her for the cost of the search and left it go.

did she sign anything authorizing a search?

she called in a false report saying she was kidnapped.

she left without telling anyone (you can't tell me she didnt expect to be searched for?). she had the ticket in advance.

she is just a spoiled brat. i doubt very much she had any idea at the cost of this. but getting sued should really teach her.

 

[poopaskoopa]

a par for the course for GA....

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: y2kc

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: y2kc
they simply should have billed her for the cost of the search and left it go.

did she sign anything authorizing a search?

probably not, but she did call and report that she was abducted which warrants police action which included a search.

her lie dictated the actions that followed. she's liable in my opinion.

The thing is, she didn't make the call until AFTER the expenses were incurred for the search, and she recanted her false statement within about 15 minutes. I don't think she's legally or ethically responsible for repayment, but I would respect her more if she volunteered to repay it either with money or community service.

Just to be clear, I'd have no problem with New Mexico or the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico prosecuting her, if they felt it was warranted (though I do not). I do, however, think it's ridiculous for a DA in Georgia, where she did nothing criminal, to bring charges against her.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: tami
i think she deserves her punishment, not for making false statements, but for all the resources that were pooled into the efforts of finding her. at this point, it's nothing but a lesson for her and for other people considering doing the same thing. i'm glad that her punishment started with her making these false statements. i hope she learns from her mistake.

i think her sentencing should also include mandatory psychotherapy, because the woman has issues.

What law did she break prior to making the false statements in Georgia? As an adult she has the absolute right to disappear if she wants to. Once again I feel compelled to point out that prior to 24X7 cable news coverage adults used to go missing all the time without massive searches being launched absent some physical evidence of foul play.

You're only saying this because SHE lied and ranaway. But if she was kidnapped and she was found again thanks to CNN's coverage, you would probably be singing a different tune.

Personally i don't have a problem with this. If i get bored of it, you know what i do? I change the channel!

Not at all. I could care less if CNN/Fox covered this 24x7, that is their right. If the community wants to make themselves feel better by conducting massive manhunts everytime an adult turns up missing that is their right as well. What absolutely is not their right is to charge an adult that wants to disappear with a violation of the law unless they did something fraudulent to instigate the investigation. It is my absolute right to fall off the face of the planet if I so desire as long as my legal obligations (bills, mortgages etc) are covered.

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: BAMAVOO
I think every state she traveled through should prosecute her. She is the MORON!

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I actually got an e-mail back from the DA, claiming she made false statements to a Georgia police officer, something that has never been reported in the media AFAIK. If that's true, there's at least an argument this case can be brought in Georgia court - I guess we'll see.

 

[y2kc]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: y2kc

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: y2kc
they simply should have billed her for the cost of the search and left it go.

did she sign anything authorizing a search?

probably not, but she did call and report that she was abducted which warrants police action which included a search.

her lie dictated the actions that followed. she's liable in my opinion.

The thing is, she didn't make the call until AFTER the expenses were incurred for the search, and she recanted her false statement within about 15 minutes. I don't think she's legally or ethically responsible for repayment, but I would respect her more if she volunteered to repay it either with money or community service.

Just to be clear, I'd have no problem with New Mexico or the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico prosecuting her, if they felt it was warranted (though I do not). I do, however, think it's ridiculous for a DA in Georgia, where she did nothing criminal, to bring charges against her.

if your timeline is correct then fine, she's got a loophole, but the intent of the search was to locate a person that could have easily stood up and told the truth before any action was taken by anyone. did she not know the police would be called? did she not know there would be some effort put into locating her? maybe you can't prove it but we all know she did.

she needs to be made an example of to deter further wack jobs from pulling the same thing. either that or stop searching for missing people until we get their consent.

:disgust:

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: Skoorb

She's not guilty with this, but she is guilty of something IMO. If you simply disappear and tell nobody where you've gone you need to expect the proper response to be a search effort. That is a waste of resources. You knew it would happen and if you simply ran away and people think you're missing because of it you need to be penalized.

So you are saying that it should be illegal for anyone just to leave and not tell anybody? You don't think it's her right to do that? I guess in your world we should all wear GPS collars so the government can track us.

If anybody is at fault for this, it's the media.

Depends on circumstances. Any reasonable person in her place should have expected a search, so yes in her case she needs to be held accountable for the entire search bill. That's a common sense approach.

Tell me this, if you killed yourself, and they put out an all out search thinking you were abducted, should they be able to take the cost of the search out of your estate?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: y2kc

if your timeline is correct then fine, she's got a loophole, but the intent of the search was to locate a person that could have easily stood up and told the truth before any action was taken by anyone. did she not know the police would be called? did she not know there would be some effort put into locating her? maybe you can't prove it but we all know she did.

she needs to be made an example of to deter further wack jobs from pulling the same thing. either that or stop searching for missing people until we get their consent.

:disgust:

It's not a "loophole". It's the law. Again, if NM wants to prosecute her, fine. To use a tired old expression, this is a free country, and we have the right to freely travel within it. The people who looked for her were just doing their jobs, and most of them would have been paid to be on the job, regardless of what specific detail they were assigned to. Even if Georgia had spent its entire annual state budget on this search, it wouldn't give them any authority to bring an illegal prosecution.

 

[Genx87]

probation, community service, and maybe have to repay some of the costs.

Nobody is going to jail for 5 years.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: DonVito
Morons.

Okay, I understand people are frustrated with Jennifer Wilbanks, and want her to pay somehow, but she made her false police report and statement IN NEW MEXICO! No Georgia court can have jurisdiction over the offense (just as she couldn't be prosecuted in Georgia even if she killed ten people in an adjoining state, like Florida).

OK, wouldn't the fact that the false report she made was to the Georgia Police? In Georgia?

Also, doesn't that violate a federal law because it's interstate? I'm sure some of the telecom laws apply here with regards to fraud.

Why do you understand the want to make her pay, yet have a problem when they find a legal recourse? It's not like they are trying her for a 1st degree felony... She'll probably get the misdemeanor charge anyways.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: y2kc
they simply should have billed her for the cost of the search and left it go.

did she sign anything authorizing a search?

No, she reported herself kidnapped to a cop. What'd she expect? What would *any* reasonable person expect? None of that is relevant though, she committed a crime. She filed a false report to a cop, and not a beat cop, the police chief.

Don't split hairs.

Originally posted by: DonVito
I actually got an e-mail back from the DA, claiming she made false statements to a Georgia police officer, something that has never been reported in the media AFAIK. If that's true, there's at least an argument this case can be brought in Georgia court - I guess we'll see.

It's been reported since day 1. I saw the police chief on several occations say this, both before and after everyone realized what was really going on.

Your timeline is mostly correct about when the expenses occured, but really how's that relevant? She filed a false report to a Georgia officer, a case she ensue.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: tami
i think she deserves her punishment, not for making false statements, but for all the resources that were pooled into the efforts of finding her. at this point, it's nothing but a lesson for her and for other people considering doing the same thing. i'm glad that her punishment started with her making these false statements. i hope she learns from her mistake.

i think her sentencing should also include mandatory psychotherapy, because the woman has issues.

What law did she break prior to making the false statements in Georgia? As an adult she has the absolute right to disappear if she wants to. Once again I feel compelled to point out that prior to 24X7 cable news coverage adults used to go missing all the time without massive searches being launched absent some physical evidence of foul play.

You're only saying this because SHE lied and ranaway. But if she was kidnapped and she was found again thanks to CNN's coverage, you would probably be singing a different tune.

Personally i don't have a problem with this. If i get bored of it, you know what i do? I change the channel!

Not at all. I could care less if CNN/Fox covered this 24x7, that is their right. If the community wants to make themselves feel better by conducting massive manhunts everytime an adult turns up missing that is their right as well. What absolutely is not their right is to charge an adult that wants to disappear with a violation of the law unless they did something fraudulent to instigate the investigation. It is my absolute right to fall off the face of the planet if I so desire as long as my legal obligations (bills, mortgages etc) are covered.

Well then don't blame CNN, but the judicial system and the family. Even if CNN hadn't been interested, and the family themselves started a manhunt and used police resources in the search, and then she lied about being kidnapped, she probably still would have suffered some consequences.

And very few people, at least normal people, disappear and 'fall off the face of the planet' without ANY warnings or messages to anybody. You guys act like it's CNN that forces you this stuff... they're only reporting what would bring them higher viewership, and people watch what they're interested in. I usually watch CNN, but during this time, i didn't... why? Because it didn't interest me... at least until it was discovered she lied, then it was hilarious.

 

[y2kc]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: y2kc

if your timeline is correct then fine, she's got a loophole, but the intent of the search was to locate a person that could have easily stood up and told the truth before any action was taken by anyone. did she not know the police would be called? did she not know there would be some effort put into locating her? maybe you can't prove it but we all know she did.

she needs to be made an example of to deter further wack jobs from pulling the same thing. either that or stop searching for missing people until we get their consent.

:disgust:

It's not a "loophole". It's the law. Again, if NM wants to prosecute her, fine. To use a tired old expression, this is a free country, and we have the right to freely travel within it. The people who looked for her were just doing their jobs, and most of them would have been paid to be on the job, regardless of what specific detail they were assigned to. Even if Georgia had spent its entire annual state budget on this search, it wouldn't give them any authority to bring an illegal prosecution.

I'm not arguing law. I think if she's let go scott free a dangerous precedent could be set and people that really need the police to search for them could be left out in the cold for fear from police officials that don't want to be stuck with the cost of these searches.

Afraid that this could be another crazy person skipping out on something they don't want to face.

 

[KK]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: KK

Originally posted by: y2kc
they simply should have billed her for the cost of the search and left it go.

did she sign anything authorizing a search?

No, she reported herself kidnapped to a cop. What'd she expect? What would *any* reasonable person expect? None of that is relevant though, she committed a crime. She filed a false report to a cop, and not a beat cop, the police chief.

Don't split hairs.

I'm not sure how all this went down, but if it went down as she made these false statements after the fact, then she should not be liable for the search. If she made the statements in the beginning and then a search pursued then she would be liable. What would of happened had she ran away, and then a week or two later just returned home, no police statements or anything. She wouldn't be liable for any silly search.