It’s not easy being green.

Today my wife and I decided to go green and bought an electric car. As I was filling out the paperwork, and learning about how and where to charge the car, it reminded me of a recent news story. An Atlanta area man who owns an electric car was using a public school outlet to charge his vehicle while he waited for his son to finish his tennis lessons. Someone reported the suspicious activity and the police arrived and questioned the car owner. He admitted to using the outlet and became belligerent, insisting that it was an accepted practice. 

That's where it all went downhill. Had he just apologized or said he wasn't aware that it was an issue, we wouldn't be reading this story, but of course that wasn't the result. The car owner got upset that he was being questioned about the use of the electricity, was uncooperative and even insulted the officer by making cracks about his dirty car. And as a result, he was arrested for stealing what the article indicated as "pennies" worth of electricity.

Time and time again, it's not necessarily the crime itself that leads to an arrest; it’s the attitude and reaction of the accused. What could have been a warning or a small fine led to 14 1/2 hours in jail for this individual. I have always told clients and colleagues, the police officer is just doing his job, mouth off at your own risk.

If you’re arrested for any reason, hire a good criminal defense lawyer.