Legal Question in Criminal Law in Florida

i reported my car stolen then realized my friend stole it as a joke and now returned it. The police are calling me in for questioning, but i don't want to give my friends name. What should i do?


Asked on 9/24/12, 2:49 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Eric Trabin Lucid Legal, PLLC

This is a tough position to be in. The cops won't care that it was a "joke." The only things they will be concerned about will be whether someone took your car and whether it was done without consent/permission. They may very well already have a written statement from you stating this. Now that you know it is your friend, they will try to have charges filed on them. Once they know that it was your friend who took the car and that you previously reported it was taken without your permission, they will likely seek to arrest your friend. On the other hand, if you say something materially different then what you previously reported then they could say you gave a false report.

You are under no obligation to go meet with the police or answer any questions. If you don't want to go to the police or answer any questions then don't. If they call you or ask to speak with them, you can tell them you don't want to speak with them anymore. They can't force you to come in to the station or to answer their questions.

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Answered on 9/24/12, 3:19 pm


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