You Might Be Surprised How Likely You Are To Be A Criminal

You’re sitting at home with your ailing spouse or significant other. They’re in pain from surgery, or cancer, or severe arthritis, for example. You get up and go to get them their pain medicine and something to drink.

Technically speaking, you’ve just unlawfully dispensed medication. Imagine it’s your medication. Your significant other is suffering from a severe backache. You give them a Vicodin. Now you’re both felons.

Every day, people do things that put them outside of the lines. Some do things knowing they’re outside the lines. Others are doing things they believe would be helpful. They mean well.

There are all kinds of ways to break the law. We are a nation of laws. But, are laws overrunning our lives? Consider certain circumstances. What would you do?

Accomplice to a Felony Theft

We all have no doubt seen videos of the rampaging thefts that plagued our retailers and our countries. Hordes of people run in to raid liquor stores, shoe stores, and various other retailers. Dozens of people livestream video of these events as they’re happening.

Theft is a crime. Repeated thefts are felonies. It doesn’t matter how small of an amount or how trivial the item is, because, at a certain point, you can’t steal a pack of gum without it being a felony.

Have you ever heard of a crime of necessity? Some thefts are just that, out of necessity.

Imagine you witness a theft. A young woman is stuffing items into her pockets, or her purse. You notice they are baby food items. You do the nice thing and turn away.

Police come in, they see the video, they identify the girl, and they show your manager that you saw what happened. While the young woman is facing a felony theft because she’s got a history of stealing, you’re now an accessory to felony theft.

Her crime was of necessity. A judge may take sympathy for her. Yours wasn’t a necessity. Your employer at the store wants to make an example of you. The law isn’t on your side. While your decision to turn away might have been morally understandable, the laws aren’t there to protect you while you’re committing a crime.

Minor Things That Can Get You Arrested

What sort of things might you be doing, or possibly do, that could end you up in the fancy police bracelets? You might be surprised.

Carrying pills in a pill organizer. Most of the time you’ll be fine, but if you are prescribed controlled substances and can’t prove that they’re yours you can be detained for possession of controlled substances, a felony charge in most states and under federal codes. It’s likely a judge would dismiss the case for lack of intent, but at 1:00 am that’s not a decision that can easily be made by some departments.

Careless post-shower regimen. If you get out of the shower, towel off, and stroll from one side of your home to the other, you better have your windows closed. A passerby looking in your window could make this a felony under the right circumstances.

Sex and Adultery. Adultery is defined as sex with one who isn’t their spouse. It’s also a misdemeanor offense on the statutes in many states, including Illinois. So much for those liberal laws fixing everything.

Hitchhikers. In some areas, picking up hitchhikers is illegal. That’s for your protection. In areas where there is a concentration of correctional facilities, there are signs posted frequently due to escapes and the threat of dangerous people to the population. It’s a bad idea to entertain giving rides to wayward strangers.

Finders Keepers. In many areas, Illinois being one of them, it is illegal to retain found property. You might think it’s all right to keep the wad of cash, or even that oddity of a coin on the ground, but Theft of Mislaid or Lost Property could get you a trip to see the judge.

Protesters. Even the “protected” act of protesting can lead to a felony. Look at the instance of student protesters taking over a building at Columbia University. Occupying a building by making forcible entry, the future of our country wasn’t smart enough to realize they were committing a felony. Unlawful entry to the property of someone else with the intent to commit a felony (criminal property damage) can be charged under burglary statutes in many jurisdictions.

Deprivation of rights. Anytime you deprive someone of their rights you commit a criminal offense. Even though protesting is a protected right, as long as it’s peaceful when it violates the rights of others, such as when protests turn non-peaceful, the actors are engaging in criminal acts.

Do you remember being a hormonally charged young teenager? Puberty hits and everything is on fire. I saw this one end two kids up in juvenile court. In the state of Illinois, the legal age of consent to sexual activity is 17. So, when two 14-year-olds were found exploring their newfound needs what happened? They went to jail to be processed for criminal sexual abuse. Hopefully, the judge saw that for what it was, but it's a serious offense and the arrest alone could come back to haunt them if they were up for security clearances or wanted to be a police officer someday.

Takeaways

Ignorance of the laws that surround you isn’t a defense when it comes time to face the authorities. A judge, a jury, and your defense attorney might see it your way, but the journey to acquittal is long and often expensive. I’d say ask O.J. but since he’s in Hell, you’ll have to take my word for it.

There are a lot of different ways to become a felon, and based on some simple behaviors that are on the criminal statutes most people have committed at least one serious criminal offense during their lives without trying.

It’s easy enough to knowingly commit a crime. It’s far too easy to unknowingly commit a crime that could and has ended with people going to prison.