Michael A Haber PA Criminal DUI Defense Litigation Miami Blog

What NOT TO DO when you are taken into custody by police,

by 27 y/o Roxanne Rimer

Say "thank you" to 27 y/o Roxanne Rimer for her selfless sacrifice in demonstrating to you, dear reader, precisely WHAT NOT TO DO when you are taken into custody by police.  Roxanne's lesson begins with her being arrested for "suspicion of shoplifting" on January 14th, 2015, when Kohl;s store security called cops after identifying Rimer as an earring thief.   Before the cops arrived Rimer escaped from Kohl's loss prevention officer's custody (mistake #1 - had she sat tight then the overwhelming odds are that the cops would have arrived and issued her a simple PTA/NTA - promise / notice to appear - and would not have taken her into custody, but, when you're a wise guy, er gal...., well, then you go for the ride, and in this case what a "ride it was), jumping into a car and fleeing the scene (mistake #2, which compounded and reinforced, mistake #1).  In short order Roxanne's car was stopped and Roxanne was taken into custody.

So, almost certainly due to the fact that she first fled store security and then fled police, Roxanne was cuffed (hands behind her back) and placed into the back seat of a patrol vehicle, and all over a relatively meaningless and simply "petty theft".  What happens next is incredible, and if it weren't caught on dash cam video (which you can see here) it would not be believable.

While officers were sorting things out (searching the car that Roxanne had driven off from Kohl's in and whatnot) Roxanne managed to squeeze her handcuffed self through an opening in the partition of the police cruiser and crawl her way into the front seat.  Somehow, handcuffed from behind, she managed to put the police cruiser in gear and, smashing into her own car on the way out, zoomed down the highway.  Roxanne led police on a high speed chase for the nearly ten (10) miles - mind you this is all on video - driving a police cruiser, with her hands cuffed behind her back, weaving in and out of traffic, at speeds up to 100 mph, before she crashed the police cruiser into a hillside, jumped out of the car and was recaptured.

So, instead of facing a misdemeanor petty theft charge, for which she would probably have been released on her own recognizance and then been diversion eligible (meaning that she might have had to take a class or do some community service hours and then her case would have been dismissed) instead Roxanne now faces multiple charges including aggravated assaults, reckless endangerment, fleeing and eluding police and robbery.  

Turns out that Roxanne had reason to flee, she had two (2) outstanding arrest warrants, one (1) for possession of drug paraphernalia and the other for failing to appear for trial on charges of theft, receiving stolen property and trespass.   In addition, Roxanne had hypodermic needles in her possession.  But, in the interim, Roxanne's was an Epic Escape FAIL! as most prove to be.

No matter how bad your situation may seem - or even be - it is guaranteed to get exponentially worse if you escape and flee.  As Roxanne has so aptly proven, running from the cops will not only cost you additional charges, but it is absolutely guaranteed to also result in a higher - and possibly NO - bond, larger legal fees and the possibility of significantly more prison time.  It's a losing proposition, unless you truly have nothing else to lose.

When it comes to the subject of "Cops, Courts and Constitutions" you should always have a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney who is focused on serving your interests.  While we can't stop the cops from arresting you, as your legal counsel Michael A. Haber, PA will ensure that your rights are respected from the moment that representation begins and that any abuses which may have occurred beforehand are remedied.

At Michael A. Haber, P.A. "Its all about reasonable doubt"!