Though they probably never expected to, sometimes families in Wisconsin have to confront the daunting prospect of criminal charges. In some cases, one family member might even accuse another of a crime, but that doesn’t mean the whole family isn’t affected by the painful ordeal. Moreover, an allegation is something quite different from proof of guilt.
Not long ago, a mother in Wisconsin told police that she suspected her 45-year-old son of stealing jewelry from her home in Scott. The son is from Campbellsport but was living with his mother when she noticed that 18 pieces of expensive jewelry were missing. The property was valued at several thousand dollars.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County, the mother claimed that her son had previously pawned items in the Fon du Lac area. The mother’s boyfriend also reported that seven firearms were missing from the home.
Police investigated a number of pawnshops and jewelry stores in Fon du Lac, West Bend, Appleton, Wauwatosa and Milwaukee, and those inquiries turned up records showing that some of the missing property was sold over the course of several months during the winter. The son was apparently implicated in the sales.
A local news report did not indicate exactly which items were sold at the shops, but the 45-year-old has been charged with theft of movable property. If convicted, he could face a prison sentence of a year and a half.
When other families in Wisconsin face similar legal problems, the best course of action for the individuals charged with a crime is to be fully aware of their rights under Wisconsin criminal law. No matter the circumstances of the allegations, everyone who is accused of a crime deserves his or her opportunity to call the prosecution’s claims into question.
Source: Sheboygan Press, ” Man charged in alleged theft of mother’s jewelry, firearms,” May 1, 2012