Dallas, TX asked in Criminal Law and Federal Crimes for Texas

Q: Protective order issued then commits disaster fraud 2017 $17,000.00 while veteran contractor is unknownlly arrested on f

Police refuse to take formal complaint by victim is this legal? Criminal 8 protective order attempting to take new home by accusing victim of abuse did not happen

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer
Michael Hamilton Rodgers
Michael Hamilton Rodgers
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Dallas, TX
  • Licensed in Texas

A: If you're asking if police can legally refuse to file a case based upon a person reporting that a crime has been committed, the answer is "yes". There are many reasons why the police might justifiably refuse to file criminal charges when they receive a report that someone has committed a crime. In your case it sounds like a court already has acted in this matter. You say a protective order was issued sometime in the past (2017 ?), correct? So the police may consider the "fraud" which your unnamed "victim" has reported is part of a case which is already in the judicial system and they are refusing for that reason to start another (criminal) case because in their opinion the court already involved is well-suited to look into the alleged crime.

Or they may simply see the new case as a civil matter rather than a criminal case. Civil fraud is quite common and this is may be how they see the new situation.

Or maybe they have listened to your "victim" and decided that the facts don't add up to a criminal case or even to a matter of civil fraud. In other words, they may see the reported situation as not rising to the level of a criminal fraud. In that situation, they would be correct to not file criminal charges.

Or maybe the police are just making an honest mistake by not filing criminal charges. This does happen. When an honest mistake is made, the police's refusal to act is still "legal".

So, absent some bad motive or actual criminal involvement on the part of the police themselves, they are acting perfectly legally in refusing to file charges.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.