GA - Jennifer Wilbanks, runaway bride, for false police report, Duluth, 2005

[Timex]

"Deals" are for those who rape, kill and mame. Serious criminals such as JW will go to trial.

 

[Mare]

"Deals" are for those who rape, kill and mame. Serious criminals such as JW will go to trial.

Sad but true

 

[Jules]

Perhaps this is mostly about a hammer to get the city reimbursed. I think they either get one, or the other. If they do go to trial on the felony charge, Duluth doesn't get reimbursed, and if Duluth gets reimbursed a nominal portion of the search costs, JW gets off on a plea deal.

I agree with this. I'm sure they'll plea this out. They want the money.

 

[Timex]

The mayor said she has already been in a deal for the money, and is confident Jennifer is sincere about paying it back. Seems like the money part has been worked out. Of course, if she is convicted of the felony..thats another $10,000 fine, and the misdemeanor is another $1,000, so the city could get an additional $11,000 if they play their cards right.

 

[Lauren]

Well, she needs to pay it all back! IMO!

When you can do that to your own mother, cause panic,worry,and efforts from the police and others, you need to pay it back.. As best you can. She has alot of making up to do for to her family and community. :snooty:

 

[Pharlap]

Maybe having the Wisconson gal and JW in the news and charged, may detour others not to even think about doing something like this:waitasec:

Then the resources in the future will be spent on REAL cases.....

 

[Jules]

Let's hope Lauren and Pharlap! She has lots to make up for - to lots of people.

 

[Timex]

Maybe having the Wisconson gal and JW in the news and charged, may detour others not to even think about doing something like this:waitasec:

Then the resources in the future will be spent on REAL cases.....

Obviously having these cases in the news doesnt keep others from doing it. If that were the case, Jennifer would not have done this, since the wisconsin case got such wide coverage.

People already know the laws. This wasnt the first such case, and wont be the last such case.

 

[Lauren]

Jennifer has been arrested.

Please keep us informed. I am going to work... Bummer!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MistyGirl]

The DA gave the impression he doesnt feel she is in need of mental intervention.

I AGREE 100%. This woman doesn't have a "mental illiness" she has "issues" that is for sure.....but just because she cant follow the laws such as shop lifting etc and doesn't have the guts to stand up and say hey I don't want to get married...............we all have "issues" as far as I am concerned. This crap of her going in the hosiptal was just a way to try to get people to feel sorry for her and to hope that no one presses charges. I am glad she has been charged she should have been from the start. What she was TERRILBE as far as I am concerned there was no excuse for her actions what so ever....JMHO

 

[Timex]

Well, at least maybe a little time in jail will teach her how to do it right the next time She can learn from the best.

 

[VespaElf]

Georgia Grand Jury Indicts 'Runaway Bride'




ATLANTA — So-called runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks (search) was indicted Wednesday on felony and misdemeanor charges, Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter announced.

Wilbanks was indicted on one count of making false statements, a felony, and one count of falsely reporting a crime, a misdemeanor, the district attorney said.

The penalty for the felony charge is 1 to 5 years behind bars; the misdemeanor carries a sentence of up to 12 months in confinement, according to Porter....................................http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,157601,00.html

NOW do we get a forum??

 

[luvbeaches]

I wonder if her parents had repaid the city the 40K if she would have been charged?

I think it's too bad...but you just can't go around making false accusations and waste the resources like she did. Too bad she didn't stop before she accused the couple of kidnapping her. And didn't she say someone raped her (and went through the exam at a hospital)? I thought I heard Abrams talking about that.

 

[Timex]

Georgia Grand Jury Indicts 'Runaway Bride'




ATLANTA — So-called runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks (search) was indicted Wednesday on felony and misdemeanor charges, Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter announced.

Wilbanks was indicted on one count of making false statements, a felony, and one count of falsely reporting a crime, a misdemeanor, the district attorney said.

The penalty for the felony charge is 1 to 5 years behind bars; the misdemeanor carries a sentence of up to 12 months in confinement, according to Porter....................................http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,157601,00.html

NOW do we get a forum??

Only tybee or tricia can start forums. Personally, my 2 cents would be this woman just isnt important enough to warrant the time or energy required to maintain a forum on her. She did it...she's been charged...she will be arrested. Whats left to sleuth on this case? Whats left to discuss? How many ways are there to say she is scum and needs to be locked up? How many pages of the same things need to be posted about her?

There are many REAL cases that should demand our attention. This just isnt one of them IMO. How many parents of missing children would love to have the amount of time and enregy put into their childs case as has been wasted on this woman?

Everyone screams about how much she has cost us...yet they continue to allow her to cost us more by feeding into this frenzie.

 

[tipper]

GJ met and heard evidence charged with making false statements and reporting a false crime. One misdeamnor, one felony. DA beleives this is the appropriate.

Misdemeanor - 12 months jail
felony 1 to 5 years

I'm not clear on how she can be charged in GA for a false statement she made in NM. My recollection is she made the 911 call in Albuquerque and then very quickly we heard that she was just a runaway.

Is GA saying the act of running away was the false statement? If so, I'd have trouble convicting on that.

Perhaps someone can fill me in...

 

[Pepper]

LOL what I find amazing is...there was a woman murdered the same time JW pulled her stunt....there are 2 kids missing and a family brutally murdered in Idaho, and yet the media has time to dwell on this case. What a waste.

Well, here is how it works. The media wants you to "buy" its program (TV) or newspaper, so they are out to grab your interest.

While there may be many more noble stories to chase, like the Idaho murder mystery and the missing children, unless there is a NEW development (like in Wilbanks) there is really nothing to report. Unfortunately in the Idaho case there are apparently no leads and no new developments, so all the media can do is give a daily report that there is nothing new to report.

One of the reasons that the Peterson case got so much media attention is because it was like a soap opera. Practically daily there was some new twist or turn to that case. Of course it didn't hurt that there was the "other woman" and the wacky Peterson family to spice things up either.

 

[Mabel]

I seriously doubt that they'll lock her up - she'll probably get a restitution deal and probation. I agree with the decision to charge her, she knowingly broke the law....again...and again...and again. Just because other criminals have done worse things doesn't mean she should get a free pass.

 

[Timex]

The idaho murder and the missing kids get daily coverage...many of us are indeed following that case very closely.

Im just wondering how many new jails and prisons we are going to need when we start arresting and locking up everyone that lies to LE.

 

[Timex]

I seriously doubt that they'll lock her up - she'll probably get a restitution deal and probation. I agree with the decision to charge her, she knowingly broke the law....again...and again...and again. Just because other criminals have done worse things doesn't mean she should get a free pass.

The DA made it very clear this has nothing to do with her making restitution. Whether she pays the full amount back or not will not enter into his decision to prosecute this case. He said that is a seperate matter all together.

 

[Mabel]

The DA made it very clear this has nothing to do with her making restitution. Whether she pays the full amount back or not will not enter into his decision to prosecute this case. He said that is a seperate matter all together.

It may not be part of the decision to prosecute but it would very likely become part of her sentence, even if a settlement is reached. At this point, her lawyers have offered $13k as a settlement toward the $43k total expense.