If I was wrongly accused of stealing money from a found wallet, what do I do?
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If I was wrongly accused of stealing money from a found wallet, what do I do?
I found an empty wallet at a store. They said that I stole money out it but I didn’t. The store released security footage to the
Asked on October 6, 2018 under Criminal Law, Georgia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
In theory, you can sue anyone who claims you stole when you did not for defamation: for making an untrue negative factual assertion (that you stole) about you. In practice, if the footage makes it appear, even if incorrectly, that you did steal, you would be very unlikely to win any lawsuit: as the person suing, the "burden of proof," or obligation to prove your case by a "preponderance of the evidence," or that it is more likely than not, is on you, and in the face of footage seeming to show theft, you are unlikely to do that.
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