Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

This would be extremely risky conduct. The police could arrest you for the possession of stolen property. The district may or may not file charges against you. Even if the case is dropped you risk jail time.

Further if for some reason the statute of limitations has not run, you could be a guest of the state for several years. The police officers are not likely to think that this is a laughing matter. They may decide to go after you for something other matter. If you analyze the risk and the reward, it is a poor way to get $100.

Four years later, you're still letting this cop rent space in your head? It's time to move on, and your idea could give the cop the last laugh.

Let's say you send that letter, and the cop is a member of a law enforcement message board or has a Facebook page. He scans the letter and posts it, with a note like "LOL, what a tool!"

His fellow cops and other people download it, and it gets forwarded to thousands of people. It shows up on blogs, along with your name and address. Maybe you even wind up being the star of a stupid criminal segment on CNN or Fox.

Before long, if anybody Googles your name, your letter is the first thing that comes up. Since employers are using Google and social networking sites to check out applicants, your resume is going to wind up with the people who post pictures of themselves with beer bongs, and the guy who put bottle rockets in his butt and posted the video on YouTube.

Maybe somebody actually give you an interview, says, "Why don't you tell us about this?" and your hands shake as he hands you a copy of the letter you wrote because your buddy gave you a hundred bucks.

If you're auditioning to replace Steve-O in "Jackass:The Sequel," it might help you get the job. Otherwise, you should think twice before pulling a stunt that could follow you around for the rest of your life.