I found a purse in the bathroom of a restaurant. i live in florida. i got a house visit from a detective (a friend told the police i had the surse) and i am on camera swiping the credit card at walgreens. i was not in my right mind i had been drinking and i have made the biggest mistake of my life. i need to know what to do. if i can get arrested. i returned the purse and all of the contents to the detective who promised he would not arrest me "today" and it was in a different county so he doesnt have jurisdiction to arrest me at my house. i need to know what to do. my partner is dependant on me. like, she cant take care of the kids without me. she is on 7 different medications for mental illness. i wasnt in my right mind and i dont know what to do.
Yes, you can be arrested and prosecuted. They will likely charge you with at least theft. Theft does not necessarily require that you "steal" something, but it is sufficient if you obtained property that you did not have a right to and deprived the lawful owner of it. You can also be charged with the fraudulent use of a credit card, a felony.
You need to find yourself a lawyer right away. There is a good chance that the police are obtaining a warrant for your arrest. When you are arrested you may be able to bond out immediately. If for some reason you don't, you will see a judge the next morning. Your lawyer can ask the judge for a bond reduction.
Be prepared and hire a lawyer now.
You will likely be arrested for not only the theft of the purse but the fraudulent use of the credit card. If you cannot afford an attorney right now, do not make any statements or admissions to the police when you are arrested. You will get a court-appointed lawyer to help you. Don't compound the situation by trying to explain. It won't help.
Don't say another word to anyone until you talk to a lawyer!
You need a lawyer to try and exonerate you- or at least minimize any possible punishment.
Seek out an experienced criminal litigator for a free consultation. A good place to start is by going to the website for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL.org) Clicking on this link will take you to the part of their site that links you to a map of the US where you can click on your jurisdiction to find an affiliate local organization. There is also a link to find members of NACDL near you. Meet several that offer free consultation. Hire one that you feel comfortable with and you can afford. There is no confidentiality online.
NACDL Local affiliates: https://www.nacdl.org/About.aspx?id=20400
(http://tinyurl.com/8akw2gd)
NACDL local members: https://www.nacdl.org/impak/cms/members_online/members/findalawyer.asp
(http://tinyurl.com/8ru8wtv)
tephen Andrew MoscaCriminal Defense AttorneyJacksonville, FL ·
As others have said, yes, you can be arrested and prosecuted. You must not post factual information on line and ideally, not discuss the facts of this with police any more. An attorney may be able to head this off on your behalf or, if they do file a charge, handle the defense in the best way possible.
Make no further admissions and contact an attorney for the best result. Good luck.
