# What could runaway bride be charged with in Georgia? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020 "2005-05-02T04:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/1 "2005-05-02T04:13:09Z")
I don’t know New Mexico law, but seeing she made claims about being abducted to them I suppose some form of filing a false report or obstructing an officer would be the charge. But in [Georgia](http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-05/02/content_439143.htm) they’re talking about charges. Of what? 😕 Since when is it illegal for an adult to up and take off without telling anybody? Or is there a part of the story I’m missing. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/2 "2005-05-02T04:22:52Z")
IANAL, but this is the part the police didn’t like: > [@](#): > > Wilbanks also made an emergency call to Albuquerque police. During that call, an apparently upset Wilbanks reported she had been kidnapped. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/3 "2005-05-02T04:43:18Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > IANAL, but this is the part the police didn’t like: Wilbanks also made an emergency call to **Albuquerque** police. During that call, an apparently upset Wilbanks reported she had been kidnapped. Yes, and I said this: _I don’t know **New Mexico law** , but seeing she made claims about being abducted to them I suppose some form of filing a false report or obstructing an officer would be the charge. But in **Georgia** they’re talking about charges. Of what? Since when is it illegal for an adult to up and take off without telling anybody? Or is there a part of the story I’m missing. Reply With Quote_ I know theres a case in New Mexico I’m talking about the law in Georgia. What is it they are thinking about? Unless she did something else I don’t know of, how is just taking off a criminal offense there? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/4 "2005-05-02T04:45:55Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I know theres a case in New Mexico I’m talking about the law in Georgia. What is it they are thinking about? Unless she did something else I don’t know of, how is just taking off a criminal offense there? I’m not sure about the law (IANAL,LM,OAJ) but it could be something about breach of contract (ie: the Marriage proposal) Apparantly there was a law in Texas (still might be on the books) about how a woman could sue her fiance if he broke off a wedding engagement. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/5 "2005-05-02T04:47:38Z")
Maybe it has to do with the fact that she faked her own abduction, and “disappeared”? Didn’t she leave hanks of her hair for the police to find, thus making the idea that she was kidnapped plausible? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/6 "2005-05-02T04:54:50Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > I’m not sure about the law (IANAL,LM,OAJ) but it could be something about breach of contract (ie: the Marriage proposal) > > Apparantly there was a law in Texas (still might be on the books) about how a woman could sue her fiance if he broke off a wedding engagement. But that’s a civil matter, not a criminal one. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/7 "2005-05-02T10:50:01Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I know theres a case in New Mexico I’m talking about the law in Georgia. What is it they are thinking about? Unless she did something else I don’t know of, how is just taking off a criminal offense there? My understanding of the case is that she also spoke to Georgia police and told them of the kidnapping. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/8 "2005-05-02T11:10:03Z")
[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7692019/](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7692019/) > [@](#): > > Porter said he had no jurisdiction over the woman’s initial 911 call in Albuquerque, in which she told an operator she was kidnapped by a man and a woman in their 40s who were driving a blue van. Through sobs, she told the dispatcher they had a small handgun. > > **But Porter said Wilbanks could be charged for reporting her kidnapping story over the phone to Duluth [Georgia] Police Chief Randy Belcher.** ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/9 "2005-05-02T12:05:54Z")
Perhaps they are annoyed by the fact that she looks totally wired in all her photos? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/10 "2005-05-02T14:29:45Z")
Apparently, the blushing bride was on the phone with Albuquerque 911, her family, and Georgia police at the same time (I don’t know how, I’m just going by news reports and the 911 transcript). She allegedly told Georgia police the same abduction story. The District Attorney is considering charges mainly because of the enormous expense and man power drain that city, county and state police departments incurred searching for a woman who was not lost. Consider: - the woman lived with her fiancee - she left her home two days before their wedding for a “jog” - she didn’t return. -She made no phone calls, left no note, made no contact of any kind with anyone A reasonable person would realize that those actions would cause a missing persons report to be isssued and a search to commence. That search would take manpower and equipment that could have been used on other cases. She admittedly saw the coverage of the search on TV and still let the charade go on another day or two. There is cause to charge her with “false statements” or “making a false police report”. That said, I do not expect that any charges will be filed in Georgia, though there is some public outcry. The DA will “consider” charges long enought to appease the outcry and perhaps persade the families to make some sort of restitution for the trouble she caused. It will all blow over soon and, if I don’t miss my bet, the wedding will procede quietly in a couple of months. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/11 "2005-05-02T15:08:31Z")
> [@Doctor Jackson](#): > > The District Attorney is considering charges mainly because of the enormous expense and man power drain that city, county and state police departments incurred searching for a woman who was not lost. Consider: > > - the woman lived with her fiancee > - she left her home two days before their wedding for a “jog” > - she didn’t return. > -She made no phone calls, left no note, made no contact of any kind with anyone > A reasonable person would realize that those actions would cause a missing persons report to be isssued and a search to commence. That search would take manpower and equipment that could have been used on other cases. She admittedly saw the coverage of the search on TV and still let the charade go on another day or two. There is cause to charge her with “false statements” or “making a false police report”. Note that the last sentence has no connection with the previous sentences, because none of her actions are a crime or constitute making false police reports or making a false statement. Even if she realized that there would be an outcry, that’s not her problem if she hasn’t committed a crime by walking out of her life. So the only thing I can see is to charge her with is making a false report by reiterating the kidnapping story to the Georgia authorities. I don’t do criminal law (except for family :)) so I don’t know how they would calculate a fine, but the problem as I see it is that the true expense in dealing with her disappearance was incurred _before_ she made her false statement. In other words, if she had never claimed to have been kidnapped, the amount spent would have been the same. So I don’t know that there’s a basis for the authorities to recover any of what they spent trying to locate her. ---
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/12 "2005-05-02T15:10:14Z")
I can’t see that it makes any sense to file charges based on money and time that people wasted _ **before** _ she allegedly committed the “crime.” Nobody incurred significant expenses because she allegedly filed a false report. In my opinion, if they do file charges and she’s adjudicated guilty, any punishment should not take into account any events before her report. (On preview, what **Campion** said. 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/13 "2005-05-02T15:21:36Z")
[Divine] “Jennifer Wilbanks, you stand convicted of assholeism! Your proper punishment will now take place. Look pretty for the picture, Jennifer!” [/Divine] ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/14 "2005-05-02T16:25:52Z")
I was not aware, upon starting this thread, that she made kidnapping claims to the police in Georgia. If she has, then yes, there are grounds for charges. But if all she had done was split, regardless of expense, I can’t see the crime in that. Unless she had intentionally left clues to make it look like an abduction. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/15 "2005-05-02T17:17:40Z")
Happily, she’s home in time to play the role of Amy in the local theater production of _Company_: > [@](#): > > Listen everybody, I’m afraid you didn’t hear, or do you want to > see a crazy lady fall apart in front of you, it isn’t only Paul > who may be ruining his life, you know we’ll both of us be losing > our identities, I telephoned my analyst about it and he said to > see him Monday, but by Monday I’ll be floating in the Hudson with > the other garbage– > I’m not well, > So I’m not getting married– > You’ve been swell, > But I’m not getting married– > Clear the hall, > 'Cause I’m not getting married– > Thank you all, > But I’m not getting married– > And don’t tell Paul, > But I’m not getting married today. ---
**Author:** ![AZCowboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/97f17d/32.png) [@AZCowboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AZCowboy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/16 "2005-05-02T17:22:28Z")
Just wanted to align behind what **Campion** said. The Duluth, GA police made judgements that incurred all the expenses BEFORE any crime was committed (unless new facts come to light). Claiming that _she_ should be responsible for _their_ decisions seems a bit ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/17 "2005-05-02T17:53:51Z")
In fact, it’s arguable that her false claim actually saved the Duluth police some money. I gather from the news reports that the costs stem from a massive hunt to find her or any traces of her, when it was not known where she was or if she was even alive. Once she called in, they knew she was alive and not in Georgia, so the Duluth police should have called off the hunt right away. They may have opened a new investigation, of the alleged abduction, but that would be much more focussed and less expensive. In any event, in the few hours between her false report and her recanting, I can’t see how they would have spent very much on the abduction investigation. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/18 "2005-05-02T18:18:10Z")
Caught wearing white shoes after Labor Day. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/19 "2005-05-02T18:26:19Z")
Supposing that she did deliberately attempt to make it look like an abduction (as, for instance, by planting samples of her hair). If that can be proven, and that her intent was to give the impression that she was abducted, is there any crime in that? And if there was no crime (or her only crime(s) were of no great consequence), is it possible for the Duluth police department to sue her for the expenses they needlessly incurred? If they do, is it plausible that they could win? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020/20 "2005-05-02T19:54:14Z")
**Chronos** , I don’t know about Georgia, but an [Alberta woman who did just that](http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/heatherington/) was charged with “mischief,” (as well as making false statements.) She also ran off to Vegas, incidentally. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-runaway-bride-be-charged-with-in-georgia/302020.md?page=2)