The December 14th issue of the Lewiston Tribune, page 1A ran two substantial photos: In one, a husky man in a black-and-blue checkered coat is seen hanging Christmas decorations in a shop window. In the other, a surveillance camera shows a convenience-store customer’s unattended wallet being swiped by . . . a husky man in a black-and-blue checkered coat. Local police noticed the similarities, and quickly arrested the hapless criminal mastermind for felony second-degree theft.
8 comments:
I know this makes me kind of a jerk...but to me, that barely counts as "theft." For all they know, he was planning on calling her (based on the info of her name and address within the wallet) to return the wallet. It's doubtful that he would...but nonetheless. Lost and found =/= theft. It DOES equal unfair...but it's not like her walked up to her and said, "Gimme the wallet!"
...anyway...Merry Christmas.
I was at Perkins about two weeks ago when two people from two separate parties got up and left the restaurant after their meal. They both had on that same exact blue/black checkered jacket. They also coincidentally had blue jeans on, white tennis shoes and gray hair and looked to be about the same age.
I immediately noticed the similarities of the two and pointed them out to my wife who also found it amusing that there were two people who, for all intents and purposes, looked exactly like TWINS though they probably didn't even know each other (since they sat across the restaurant from each other).
derek brink, are you high? THEFT is taking someone else's property. If he REALLY wanted to help the woman who apparently left her wallet behind, all he had to do was ask the STORE CLERK to call her. Why take the wallet away from the store to notify the woman?
He had no intention of giving it back to her. He acted an opportunity to take something that belongs to someone else. It's theft.
Good thing this happened in St. Louis cause where I live, New Orleans police, would never have put the two together.
Actually, rulings go both ways on such issues in small claims courts. There's a time-limit involved, usually. Should be something like 24-48 hours, depending on the local laws (used to be longer, but many places have shortened it). Some judges rule it as found property (the expression "possession is 9/10 of the law" exists for a reason). Others would find it as theft if/since he could offer not proof of trying to return the wallet.
Also, I do believe I said, "It's doubtful that he would [return the wallet]." So it's not like I'm saying he was trying to be a good Samaritan...I'm saying for all anyone KNOWS he COULD have. That's probably what his legal defense would be--assuming this even went into a court, which is a BIG maybe. (Likely, he'd appear before a judge of sorts, sans lawyer, who'd have him pay a fine if this is a first offense and his time served after arrest would be all the time he did. They don't lock you away for years for picking up something someone else dropped.) He'd have a 50/50 shot of getting a judge who pretty much says, "Why are we wasting time with this?"
...and no, I wasn't high. Don't waste my time with that stuff. If I ever am though, you'll be the first I tell. Thanks for the concern about my health, anonymous stranger.
Maybe he mistook the wallet as his?
Maybe he was trying to return the wallet?
Maybe the tooth fairy was having an affair with Santa Claus while the Easter Bunny watched?
Maybe Derek is naive enough to think it was a remote possibility? It doesn't mean he was high.
I don't think it was a possibility. I'm saying it's a good DEFENSE, because no one can necessarily prove he wouldn't return it.
At least read my posts before you insult me. Or am I not writing monosyllabically enough?
So where in your first post do you claim it was a good defense? Read your own post jerk (is that monosyllabically enough?)
Derek said: "I know this makes me kind of a jerk...but to me, that barely counts as "theft." For all they know, he was planning on calling her (based on the info of her name and address within the wallet) to return the wallet. It's doubtful that he would...but nonetheless. Lost and found =/= theft. It DOES equal unfair...but it's not like her walked up to her and said, "Gimme the wallet!"
...anyway...Merry Christmas."
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