Posted on 05/07/2005 7:45:00 PM PDT by kcvl
By MARK DAVIS The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 05/08/05
Excerpt...
Her travels may be over, but Wilbanks' troubles may have just begun. Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said he was examining evidence for a possible charge of making false statements to a government agency.
Sartain believes that's not necessary.
"She is deeply regretful of the pain she caused her family, her fiancé, her friends and the community who rallied to her aid," the lawyer said Wednesday. "I believe Jennifer committed no crime."
Arrests for shoplifting
Sartain, a former Hall County district attorney, knows her client. Court records show that Wilbanks was arrested three times in that county on shoplifting charges from 1996 to 1998.
In 1996, as district attorney, Sartain prosecuted Wilbanks for allegedly shoplifting $1,740 in merchandise from a Gainesville mall, court records show. Sartain dropped the felony charge after Wilbanks, then 24, completed a pretrial diversion program, the records show. Wilbanks performed 75 hours of community service and paid restitution, according to court records.
Months before that felony arrest, police had charged Wilbanks with misdemeanor shoplifting for allegedly taking $37.05 in merchandise from a Gainesville Wal-Mart. Court records show that officials dismissed the case after Wilbanks completed "Project Turnabout," a six-week counseling program for shoplifters.
She was arrested again, city court records show, in April 1998, when Wilbanks, then 25, was charged with shoplifting $98 worth of merchandise from a store. She pleaded guilty and served two weekends in jail. A judge also sentenced her to probation, a $400 fine and 50 hours of community service.
What girl in America doesn't have issues.
Whatever her issues are, this chick screams high maintenance.
BFL
i don't know....she's starting to sound like someone who was 'spared the rod' too many times as a child...
She's NOT A FREAKIN GIRL. She is an ADULT WOMAN!
I really HATE IT when chicks start playing the "poor wittle me" card. Grow the F UP.
She set this up in national news ...realizing that her behavior would be shocking to her family & friends. I don't have a lot of compssion for a 32 yr old woman who pulls this stunt with the risk of people getting hurt....
people used to get lynched with these kinds of accusations.
Furthermore, she has the nerve to steal close to 2 grand from a mall...but doesn't have the guts to come on tv and make a decent apology.
Nam Vet
What do you want to do, put her in jail? She RAN AWAY. Men do it all the time. Except it doesn't turn up on the nightly news.
I'll assume one of them is cajongirl.
Hmmmm... she is a humorous apologist, I'll give her that.
Way to go Hildy. I mayself, father of two delightful daughters (Shouts from the back- Oh, get of your high horse Peter Libra), would like to hold forth.
The press has set the trap for the most far seeing and erudite of the internet- Freepers. I had sincerely hoped that we all could see through the MSM. It is they, that create a story out of very little and then run with it.
First this was newsworthy. Next, on the very fortunate discovery of this woman alive, sure some comment was indeed warranted. Now overdone by the press- and how.
Peter Libra's prognosis. The lady will sink into quiet obscurity. She will one day enthrall her grand daughters with her little 15 minutes of Warhols fame. Grandma, they will giggle- tell us more. LOL
Of course mere mortals like us would still be in the klink.
Diddy was the mayor then a judge in addition to the southern belle.
No. I don't think this is a jailable offense, but given her prior criminal record, a stiff, long probation is in order.
Search ebay for "runaway bride" and find her toast, running shoes, toast, scrapbook (complete with hair), toast, action figure, toast, cookie ("better than toast"), luggage, toast...
That DA let her off! no wonder she is being hired now.
Having followed this story off and on since it broke, I've found the commentary here generally enjoyable (even stellarly so re a few unnamed posters ;-).
However, even as a fairly jaded and often crusty old bastard, I've also sensed from early on that this girl is acting out some deep and troubling trauma.
The religous overtones also strike me as at least exascerbating the whole thing, if not originally complicit somehow.
Of course I could be wrong.
It's just possible that she's a truly spoiled brat who's butt should've been blistered years ago.
But I do know that if some of the comments I've seen here were made to my face about my daughter, the person who uttered them would wake their sorry ass up in an ER.
If you allowed one of your "two delightful daughters" to pull a stunt like this without consequence, then you are a piss poor parent.
Thank you. That's all I'm talking about.
You've got a good, dry humor. I got a chuckle out of that. She's closer to being a middle aged woman as she is to being a girl.
The woman is an antisocial criminal. So sorry about my incorrect previous diagnoses of narcissism.
Good gosh. Are either of you a psychiatrist?
This woman shows about as much symptomology of antisocial personality disorder as Betty Crocker does! Did. (Is she still alive?)
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