What to do if a family member is stealing money from 87 year old grandma, who has Alzheimers?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if a family member is stealing money from 87 year old grandma, who has Alzheimers?
I have power of attorney. iI want to pursue criminal charges but don’t necesarily want family member in prison for 10-20 years. Do I have a choice once/if criminal proceedings begin? How to proceed?
Asked on December 5, 2012 under Criminal Law, Maryland
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
No, you do not have control over the criminal proceedings once initiated: once you report the crime, the authorities (police, prosecutors) will decide what charges to pursue. They may take your request or recommendation into account, but are not obligated to do so.
Another option is to sue this person in civil court for the return of the money; as someone with the power of attorney, you have the authority to do this.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.