* 7/21 Was randomly pulled over-claiming plates didn't match vehicle.
* Vehicle situation-Last year 2021 purchased an 2010 Nissan Murano from a friend of my boyfriend. Wrote up & signed bill of sale, gave us her driver's license as we gave her money before receiving the title. She gave us her license as she claimed to return the following day. Never happened. Expired tabs, without title, was not able to purchase current tabs. Set that vehicle aside until we received the title or our money back. There's more to the story surrounding that vehicle. Will provide upon request.
* Purchased a different vehicle from a dealership 2008 Ford Escape.
* July 12, driving the Ford into work unable to avoid hitting a pot hole damaging the vehicle-unable to drive.
* In the meantime my boyfriend would drive me back & forth to work (20.5) miles while he tried to repair the Ford.
* Unable to figure out the repairs, electric vehicle, needed a code reader. Couldn't afford the code reader needed as it cost more money than we actually paid for the vehicle. Searching to buy used one, or borrow one from somebody.
* Tired of commuting me back & forth to work as it took too much time out of his day searched for an alternative. 7/16 my weekend to work, claimed he wasn't going to drive me any longer. Unable to take public transportation as they discontinued routes out to Stillwater. He pulls out the Murano and asked if I had a better choice. He told me, quote on quote "You want to get to work, you have no other choice". I fought the decision tooth & nail. "what about the plates & tabs, I ask". He replied.we'll take them of the ford and put on the murano. "Can we do that I asked", because I don't think it's legal. I told him that I did not want to do that. He claimed to have other plates and showed me them and claimed they shouldn't give me any trouble. I still wasn't comfortable but drove the murano.
* I was extremely busy at work during that time. I'm a Housekeeper for a Nursing Home in Stillwater working a lot of hours at the time. There's 5 employees working in laundry & Housekeeping. 1 individual was out with Covid and 2 had quit their jobs to work somewhere else. That left just me, the only housekeeper and my Supervisor, which she was responsible for another facility as well as ours. Frantic and worried day to day about work never noticed the plates he showed me and claimed to put on the car. Boyfriend of 10 yrs, trusted what he said he was gonna do.
*7/21 Was randomly stopped as they ran my plates on the road and found they didn't match the Murano.
*Police Officer asked if the vehicle was mine. I responded yes and explained a little bit about the situation with the title. Then he asked me where the plates came from. I was silent for a minute as I was trying to think if I saw which ones he had put on. I told the officer my boyfriend put them on. He claimed to want to used the ones from my current vehicle I was driving, but I wasn't at all in agreement. I honestly didn't know what plates were put on. The officer was really riding my ass about it, therefore, at that point & time, thought it obvious plates were in my name so guessed plates came from ford. As they did. Officer was going to write me a ticket for tax evasion. ( I didn't fully understand what that meant). I thought to myself."why would they bring my tax information in on this." Was too scared to ask. They were also going to tow the Murano as I did not have insurance on it. I was fully insured on the ford, but hadn't switch the information over yet to my insurance company. Again, I really didn't feel comfortable driving the car to begin with, therefore, didn't hurry to take the insurance off the ford and put it on the murano. We're talking a short amount of driving the murano before getting pulled over. The officer even noticed insurance paper's on the passenger seat and made a comment asking if that was the correct insurance info. I had placed it on the seat that morning as a reminder of needing to take care of it. (either during a break at work, or when i got home that evening). But it was a reminder that was going to be taken care of when I got home. Didn't make it though.
* Officer proceeded to inform me that I was going to be charged with Tax Evasion. He asked how I would be getting home while they were waiting for tow truck to come get my vehicle. He asked if i wanted to get anything out of the vehicle right now before towed and I responded yes and grabbed a few things. I told him I would cross the highway by stop light to the McDonald's where I would call my boyfriend to come get me. As I started to walk they asked if it would be ok to search my vehicle. What possessed them to want to do that in the first place, I didn't know. I said yes' only because I thought as a general rule of them that if you didn't agree further consequences would occur. Besides that I didn't think there was anything in the vehicle to be worried about.
* I was wrong. Walking away, heard them call me back to the car. They had found a baggy with what appeared to be Methamphetamine resin in it. "I dunno, I said, then grabbed my purse from me and asked if there was anything in there that they shld know about. I didn't answer right away because he was still talking. "If there is something Kelli, Now is the time to say there is." I said yes'.there are 2 meth pipes in my purse with resin in them. They continued to search my vehicle and looked in a bag of mine that contained a pill bottle and took something out and asked what it was. I admitted it was a piece/char of meth. I seriously had no idea that was even there as we had just moved from one apt to another apt complex-same management and had stuff in my vehicle i hadn't taken out of the ford yet to put into the house. My boyfriend personally towed my ford vehicle to where the murano was located and I took everything out of the ford and put it in the murano. Moving at the time also, shoved a whole lot into my car, not necessarily paying attention to what it all was.
* I was handcuffed, put in the back of the squad and brought to jail. I was booked & released-no bail. And I received no paperwork when I left, but was reminded of the tax evasion charge, and now drug charges were going to be added as well. As soon as my boyfriend appeared, I left.
* Tried to obtain POLICE REPORT ON LINE. WAS DETERMINED TO FIGURE OUT. "WHY THE DAMN SEARCH HAPPENED". NOTHING HAPPENED FOR THAT TO TAKE PLACE.' I wasn't able to retrieve the report as it claimed to be pending. I waited a few more days and tried again. Still pending. Then I decided to go retrieve it on my lunch time. I found the report wasn't available as it was transferred to the county prosecutor as it was going to be their decision was the charges would be.
* I received the paper work in the mail on 8/17. I have been working my butt off to find a lawyer. This is my first offense with drugs that i didn't understand some of the paper work. Then my boyfriend and other people claimed "not to worry that I wasn't probably going to be charged". If I was it was surely going to be a slap on the wrist. My boyfriend was giving me difficulty because I was spending so much time on the computer and my phone trying to research what my paperwork all entailed. I found differently than what others were telling me "Not to Worry" and that I NEEDED TO BE WORRYING AND VERY MUCH SO. I am certain I will be charged 1 or 2 felons. I can't have a felon charge as I'm afraid it will potentially cost me my job of 10 years. (just received employee of the month). The Nurse's and Nurse's Aide's nominated me. I witnessed a former employee, in our dept lose her job as a felon showed up later in her background check after hired.
*I'm terrified!! I don't want to lose my job. I'll do whatever is necessary to avoid felon charges. This is my first offense. What are my options, where do I stand, what's going to happen? Meanwhile, court is not far away. 9/15. I feel as though with such a short window and by listening to the wrong individuals tell me not to worry, where in fact, i shld of stuck to my gut feeling and WORRIED. I'm besides myself, angry with myself, and i'm very scared. Thank you so much for taking the time to read all of this. I do appreciate your time.
* I'm hoping to retain legal aide. i do work but don't make a whole lot of money to hire a lawyer. And I do not want one appointed to me the day of court. Because they work with the Prosecutors and know the outcome will turn out extremely bad. Please help!
A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various jurisdictions with criminal courts for appointment to represent indigent persons; the latter are generally called public defenders. The terminology is imprecise because each jurisdiction may have different practices with various levels of input from state and federal law or consent decrees. Some jurisdictions use a rotating system of appointments with judges appointing a private practice attorney or firm for each case. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_defense_lawyer
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