If your house/car was egged and you knew who did it, would you press charges?

[Anonymous 9]

In a town close to mine, a couple years ago, a few teenage boys decided it would be funny to throw an "iceberg" off an overpass and onto a car traveling underneath. The "iceberg" did break her windshield and killed her. Not cool. Not funny. Changed the lives of many that day.

Some kids were throwing snowballs at cars one winter. They hit my car as I was driving down the street. They almost broke my windshield. I parked around the corner and called the cops. The cops caught them and I pressed charges. Don’t f**k with me or my property.

[mater-three]

I might alert authorities for a house. Egging cars destroys the paint so I definitely would for that.

[mater-three]

In Canada we can't "press charges," as only the police can lay or recommend a charge be laid. My very first action would be to talk to the parents.

Speaking from a legal standpoint, unless there was real property damage and not just inconvenient cleaning, the courts would likely dismiss the case as frivolous anyway.

It’s the same in the states. Unfortunately, most citizens here feel like they have more power than they actually do. I thought the same thing until my legal 101 professor(and lawyer) symbolically beat it into the class’ heads that citizens have zero authority to press charges on anyone. They can file for financial compensation through civil courts but they’d better be sure they can prove their case. Otherwise, it might financially devastate them instead.

[Linda_Runs]

In Canada we can't "press charges," as only the police can lay or recommend a charge be laid. My very first action would be to talk to the parents.

Speaking from a legal standpoint, unless there was real property damage and not just inconvenient cleaning, the courts would likely dismiss the case as frivolous anyway.

It’s the same in the states. Unfortunately, most citizens here feel like they have more power than they actually do. I thought the same thing until my legal 101 professor(and lawyer) symbolically beat it into the class’ heads that citizens have zero authority to press charges on anyone. They can file for financial compensation through civil courts but they’d better be sure they can prove their case. Otherwise, it might financially devastate them instead.

Most people do not understand the law, particularly why we need to let some people get away with things they shouldn't to protect our rights in the end.

[Anonymous 1]

In Canada we can't "press charges," as only the police can lay or recommend a charge be laid. My very first action would be to talk to the parents.

Speaking from a legal standpoint, unless there was real property damage and not just inconvenient cleaning, the courts would likely dismiss the case as frivolous anyway.

It’s the same in the states. Unfortunately, most citizens here feel like they have more power than they actually do. I thought the same thing until my legal 101 professor(and lawyer) symbolically beat it into the class’ heads that citizens have zero authority to press charges on anyone. They can file for financial compensation through civil courts but they’d better be sure they can prove their case. Otherwise, it might financially devastate them instead.

When people say press charges, to me its more of a phrase. I know I can't actually press charges. Its not up to me. It's just a phrase.

[mater-three]

In Canada we can't "press charges," as only the police can lay or recommend a charge be laid. My very first action would be to talk to the parents.

Speaking from a legal standpoint, unless there was real property damage and not just inconvenient cleaning, the courts would likely dismiss the case as frivolous anyway.

It’s the same in the states. Unfortunately, most citizens here feel like they have more power than they actually do. I thought the same thing until my legal 101 professor(and lawyer) symbolically beat it into the class’ heads that citizens have zero authority to press charges on anyone. They can file for financial compensation through civil courts but they’d better be sure they can prove their case. Otherwise, it might financially devastate them instead.

When people say press charges, to me its more of a phrase. I know I can't actually press charges. Its not up to me. It's just a phrase.

That’s the way you think. I know there are people who actually believe they can.