Should the runaway bride face charges??

[InfidelSerf]

I'm sure all of you had heard about this case in GA (how could you NOT hear about it)

I find it botthering that there is no talk of charges being filed against her for gross misuse of taxpayer dollars.

What does everyone here think should happen to her?

[garyk/nm]

I guess that one would have to prove that she was aware of the "manhunt" and ignored it, before charging her with anything.
I am only vaguely aware of the situation, no details, so how did she get from GA to Albuquerque with no ID or credit cards? I recall reading that she left those items behind.

[crownvic]

Yeah, I think she should face some sort of charges for this mess she created. At least for the phone call telling everyone she was abducted. Now we will let all our legal experts tell us if this is possible.

[InfidelSerf]

She had some money on her and took a bus to Las Vegas.. then took one to NM.
I think the fact that she cut her hair and ditched her sweats shows this was somewhat premeditated.

I just don't see how someone could lie like that and not face some consequenses.  
They are saying since she was on a bus she may not have known how blown up it had become.
But I don't buy that... she was from a very involved large family.  With a large wedding coming up there is no way she could have thought her dissapearing would go unoticed and not reacted to.

[Para2]

Should she be billed for whatever public monies were spent on this? Probably.
Should she be prosecuted for same? She's an adult, free to move about as she likes. I'd be pissed if I were her boyfriend/family/whatever. But I see nothing criminal in her actions.

[El Tejon]

Maybe False Informing or the Neuvo Meheco equivalent?

Don't think criminal prosecution is likely to go anywhere.  Perhaps a civil lawsuit or two.

[Pebcac]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/30/wilbanks.found/index.html

According to the article, she told police she had been abducted.  Given the resources spent hunting for her, I think she deserves to face a charge of filing a false report at the least, but even that's a slap on the wrist compared to what she's put people through.  I hate to see law enforcement resources wasted to such an extreme degree on someone who just needs to grow the hell up or go see a shrink.

[BryanP]

Her fiance should be grateful for a second chance to NOT marry this whack-job.

[grislyatoms]

Filing a false report. Absolutely.

As for disappearing without a trace, that's an ethical issue, not a criminal one.

[XLMiguel]

Yup, agree with Bryan and Grisly She should be charged with filing a false report and if convicted, serious fine to cover some of the cost of the resulting search and broohaha.

Fiance should seek professional help if he even remotely considers marrying her -Dood - don't let the little head do the thinking for the big head!!!  Run, man, run!!

[Moondoggie]

Fox News reports that she had backed-out of wedding plans twice before with this guy.  You'd think the family might have mentioned that instead of jumping to the conclusion that foul play was involved and playing it up to the cameras.  Her close friends or family had to have known that something was fishy.

Given that both families are described as "prominent", I predict that this will just go away.  The other "Prominent" folks who are in positions of authority will probably decline to rake their country club buddies over the coals.  Just wouldn't be "civilized".  Poor little rich girl...hopefully her trashed wedding plans will curtail her opportunities to reproduce.

600 guests invited to the wedding...that's a lot of shower gifts to return!

If I was the prospective groom, the next picture his former fiance would see of me would depict a stripper giving me the best lapdance money could buy.

[jefnvk]

For saying she was abducted?  Yes.

For disappearing, heck no.

If the family had an idea that she may have just run away, they probably should be in on punishment too, as they are the ones that took it national.

[P95Carry]

She was (put mildly) extraordinarily thoughtless.  Some reflection in advance of her actions could/should have told her that all hell would break lose.

I can sympathize up to a point - in as much as marriage is no small deal - it is a serious commitment - and not something to be entertained lightly.  However - I feel she could have done a less traumatic job of it all.  Even her Pop was distraught beyond belief for over 2 days - that ain't fair - no way.

She should very possibly be made liable for costs incurred - police time in particular.  Sorry - my sympathy only extends so far.

[Byron Quick]

"If the family had an idea that she may have just run away, they probably should be in on punishment too, as they are the ones that took it national."

I believe that her family, specifically her fiance, report her missing to the Duluth police.  The media and the Duluth police took it 'national.'

She should be charged with making a false report.  I seriously doubt that the maximum fine is over  $1000.  Which probably won't cover 1 percent of the resources expended.  I don't see where there is any civil liability incurred by her at all.  I doubt that her family or fiance will sue her.

[Guest]

I understand that she told federal authorities that she had been abducted. Thats more than a fals report IIRC. Lying to law enforcement in the process of an investigation is abstruction of justice, isnt it? I think she is looking at a felony.

[bobs1066]

The Good Taste Police should throw the book at her for planning to participate in a wedding with 14 bridesmaids & 14 groomsmen. Yeesh! The families may be 'prominent', but she ain't the queen of Sheba.

[InfidelSerf]

I think it's interesting that the media could potencially be implicated in a crime on society by trumping up such a story as this.
The damage to the social conscious could reduce the effectiveness of such a campaign for future REAL tragic events.

If it is true that she had cold feet several times before, and the family knew this, then they should be held equally liable for the costs of the search.  Unless they had informed law enforcement and they chose to ignore that and pursue it as a missing person.

I wonder how much of the heavy response by the local police was due to internal pressure to keep the legal sharks at bay.

[grampster]

This is America.  One should be able to come and go as one pleases.  If the story is true that she has had cold feet in the past, the family should have disclosed that.  Everyone that entered the search for her had free choice to do so or not.

Common sense tells me that even the report she gave leo about the abduction could be soft pedaled.  I think just about anyone would cook up a tale (temorarily at least) when we do something really, really stupid, no?  We are too quick to extract a pound of flesh in America, sometime, especially when we overreact to stuff and we have a little egg on our faces.  (enough of that to go around in this case, starting with Miss Coldfoot.)

Imho the media has made such an issue out of things of this nature in their never ending search for titilation of the masses, it's bound to happen from time to time that a small thing will be overplayed.

Me-thinks the young lady is embarrased if not a  couple of sandwiches short of a picnic.  Her family ought to be extatic she is ok.  LEO should have gotten a free drill on how they work in situations like this (like the contrived disaster drills), media should be a bit embarrased and the fiance ought to be relieved to have a chance to stay single.

[HForrest]

^ +1

[Para2]

grampster-
 
I thought I said that.....

Just not as well!

[grampster]

Para,
     Just reinforcing what you said very well.