Woman’s Legal Ordeal Ends With Charges Dismissed

— Theodosia Hasley sat in court earlier this week waiting for her legal troubles to end.

Hasley, 23, said she was the victim of identity theft, but she was arrested and charged with writing two hot checks.

“The prosecutor said they were going to dismiss it,” Hasley said Wednesday. “I’ve been telling everyone that I did not do it. I’m innocent.”

Hasley and her attorney met with A.J. Anglin, deputy prosecutor, on Wednesday and the charges were dropped.

“Overall this was a good outcome for Ms. Hasley,” said Tiffany Fields, deputy public defender. “We are happy the charges were dismissed.”

Hasley said she moved to Missouri from Benton County about four years ago. While moving out of her apartment, she threw away two blank checks a bank gave her when she opened a checking account. The account had been closed for more than a year so Hasley said she didn’t think it was a big deal to throw the checks away.

“I was 19 and dumb,” Hasley said as she sat on one of the courtroom pews. “I’m extremely careful with all my information now. You never think it is going to happen to you.”

Hasley was arrested twice in connection with hot checks supposedly written by her.

The first arrest was in December 2010. She was driving in Joplin, Mo., and got a speeding ticket. She learned there was warrant in Benton County for her arrest. She spent almost 24 hours in jail before she was able to bond out. She said she didn’t know a warrant had been issued for her arrest.

She later learned her arrest was in connection with two hot checks — one for $205.96 and the other for $807.83. The checks were written within two days of each other in January 2010. Hasley was charged with violation of the Arkansas hot check law, a Class C felony.

She later was arrested and charged with two counts of failure to appear, a Class C felony, for missing court appearances.

Hasley faced from three to 10 years in prison for each of the Class C felony charges.

“I was a victim,” Hasley said. “Someone stole my checks out of the trash can.”

A nonexistent Arkansas license number was on the checks and the signature on the checks wasn’t hers, said Hasley, who said she never had an Arkansas driver’s license.

“I feel like I’ve been through a laundry wringer,” Hasley said.

Anglin said on Friday his first time hearing about checks being stolen was when he talked with Hasley and her attorney on Wednesday.

Hasley never reported the checks stolen, and even after she was arrested in connection with the hot checks she didn’t go to the police or the bank and report the checks stolen. Normally, people in her situation would file a report saying the checks were stolen, Anglin said.

Anglin said failure to appear is still a crime even if a person isn’t guilty of the underlying charge.

Some people told Hasley to plead guilty and pay the money, but “I wasn’t going to plead guilty to something I didn’t do,” she said.

Hasley became frustrated with the legal process, especially with resets and delays in the case. Hasley, who now lives in Neosho, Mo., said she had to travel to Bentonville several times for hearings. The delays in the case were because of Hasley’s change of attorneys and her two failures to appear, Anglin said.

“I do not prosecute a case unless I feel a person is guilty, and I didn’t feel like this case should be prosecuted,” Anglin said. “It’s regrettable when someone forges someone else’s name and the victim gets arrested. That’s why it is important people destroy checks rather than tossing them in the trash can.”

On Wednesday, Hasley’s case was called and she stood with her attorney in front of Circuit Judge Jon Comstock. Wesley Duncan, deputy prosecutor, announced all charges against Haley were being dismissed.

“I hate it happened to me, but it is still crazy that it happened to me,” Hasley said.

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