Q: Persons. Presented themselves as law enforcement officers to me. To obtain a dog for a police department
I have texts. Recordings. Pictures. These men are not law enforcement officers. They are now. Threwtening to shoot me. Sheriff offfice will do nothing
A:
If you sold a dog to individuals under the mistaken belief that they are law enforcement officers, a question arises as to whether you sustained any damages. You would need to present evidence of some difference in the price that you sold the dog for compared to the price that you would have been able to sell the dog for to others. For example, if you gave the buyers a $100 discount on the purchase price because you thought they were LEOs, your damages would be $100 if you can show that you could have sold the dog for $100 more to another willing buyer. This represents the type of case our justice of the peace courts can most easily address if the amount involved is $20,000 or less.
It is rare that a county sheriff or other law enforcement will get involved in a civil dispute like this, even if there technically was a violation of a criminal statute (e.g. impersonating a peace officer). The crime of impersonating a public servant requires an intent to induce another to submit to the person's pretended official authority or to rely on the person's pretended official acts or the exercise of a function of a public servant. The purchase of a dog does not seem to fall within those elements of an offense, so the sheriff probably would not pursue criminal charges under such circumstances.
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.
