still not sure where to be posting this stuff, since i can't find a c/legal or whatever

so the original post was here in c/tactics : https://hexbear.net/post/119962

long story short, the cops upped the charges because my niece and her mom "didn't take it seriously enough". so what was originally something kinda stupid and small is now being blown up. Cop said one thing, walked away, wrote something else, and now it's up to a "misdemeanor theft". Cop took it very personally because my niece and my sister didn't react the way he wanted her to. He was very insulting to both the young girl and the mom in the process. They have to wait for some judge.

my question/ask is then: does anyone know what can be done about this? I'm assuming it will be a much bigger fine than originally thought, but it will depend on the juvenile judge... They definitely don't have money for a lawyer. Is there anything i can read into to help them at all (they're in PA, I live in a different state).

If they ate crow and talked to the Blue Lives people, would they be able to pull the charges, even if the cop went through with things because he "wanted something done about it"?

let me know if this should be posted somewhere else...

    • PeludoPorFavor [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      well, she took the flag, vandalized it, and then returned it. which is where we get 'theft' from in this case.

        • MarxMadness [comrade/them]
          ·
          3 years ago

          The intent to permanently deprive element would be consequential here if the kid's plan was to take it away, mess with it, then put it back. It's not an academic point, either -- this is what separates joyriding from auto theft.