Arrested unfairly. Released without charge. Do I have rights?

anne14marie

I am a woman who attended the opening of a new bar last weekend with a female friend. I said hello to one of the female bouncers as we have an acquaintance in common but apart from my friend spoke to nobody else. I had 4 glasses of wine but was no drunker than anyone else. I was arrested outside the bar but not told what I was being arrested for. I asked the name of one particular garda but he would not tell me. Later, I was told I was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. I asked to speak to the garda who had arrested me but was told she was not available. I was released without charge. I have no previous criminal convictions. This town is dangerous if you are a man. A highly respected young professional was kicked to death 2 months ago. It is said that drugs are freely available. Fights are common and serious So, why are these people not questioned?

I heard that 10 to 11 completely innocent people are arrested every weekend. The gardai are afraid of the criminals so they arrest innocent people.

If I complain to the ombudsman, nobody in my family can apply successfully to join the gardai. If I complain the gardai may bring a charge against me out of spite.
If I do not complain then I will fear garda harassment in the town.
What should I do?

Mr. Incognito

I can see this getting locked.

I suggest you thank your lucky stars that you were not charged after drinking a bottle of wine and getting arrested.

(4 glasses of wine is a bottle FYI)

Johnnyq79

You'll probably be adult cautioned in relation to that arrest. You should be contacted by the Garda shortly.

anne14marie

4 glasses of wine is not exorbitant. 2 of those glasses were only 125ml each and the other 2 glasses were standard pub measures. Many people drink way more.

Bosco boy

anne14marie wrote: »

I am a woman who attended the opening of a new bar last weekend with a female friend. I said hello to one of the female bouncers as we have an acquaintance in common but apart from my friend spoke to nobody else. I had 4 glasses of wine but was no drunker than anyone else. I was arrested outside the bar but not told what I was being arrested for. I asked the name of one particular garda but he would not tell me. Later, I was told I was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. I asked to speak to the garda who had arrested me but was told she was not available. I was released without charge. I have no previous criminal convictions. This town is dangerous if you are a man. A highly respected young professional was kicked to death 2 months ago. It is said that drugs are freely available. Fights are common and serious So, why are these people not questioned?

I heard that 10 to 11 completely innocent people are arrested every weekend. The gardai are afraid of the criminals so they arrest innocent people.

If I complain to the ombudsman, nobody in my family can apply successfully to join the gardai. If I complain the gardai may bring a charge against me out of spite.
If I do not complain then I will fear garda harassment in the town.
What should I do?

U dont get arrested for nothing, tell u the details of what happenned, u are being economical with the information. my bet is the gardai got a call from the bar about your poor behaviour or witnessed ur behaviour outside the bar and when u were checked on it ur attitude let u down. Gardai generally put up with alot of crap from people but u obviously over stepped the mark. tell us the rough details and we can access it. A complaint to the ombudsman has no bearing on any family members chances of joining the gardai.

anne14marie

In the town where I live, 2 people I know were beaten to death by people they never met before that night. They both came from well off families and were highly respected in their own right. Another teenager was knifed.The funerals were huge. The fights in the town are seen as normal.
Drugs are said to be very easily obtained but nothing is done about this.
Corruption is rife in the town. At stag doos and on a regular basis people drink till they say they are legless and thats when the fights start. I was causing no disorder unlike all the other stuff that happens in the town. How come soft targets like me are arrested but the people really causing the real trouble aren't?

Mr. Incognito

Pet I don't know you.

The odds are the guards don't either.

Frankly your post is ridiculous. Either your argument stands or it doesn't. Bringing other events in your town into it has nothing to do with anything.

You were arrested. I am wearing shoes. See nothing to do with each other.

You were arrested. There is crime in your town. Look at that- nothing to do with each other.

You were arrested. You were drunk. Whoa, would you look at that. Related events.

What are your rights. Unless I talk to the arresting officer or see the charge sheet or a copy of the guards report, I'm not qualified to say. Nor is anyone around here.

I suggest you grow up. Take it on the chin. Thank the Lord you weren't charged and if you subsequently are seek out a competent solicitor to represent you.

I heard that 10 to 11 completely innocent people are arrested every weekend.

:rolleyes:

I heard that people that get arrested whilst drunk usually are in the wrong. I have no statistics of course but obviously posting it on the internet makes it a fact.

Seriously girl. Be thankful that it didn't end up in charges being brought against you and the next time try not to drink 4 glasses of wine with an alcohol content of 12.5% and believe that it is water "because other people drink more".

anne14marie

The frightening thing is that I did nothing. I did nothing at the bar, just said down and spoke to my friend. Then I decided to leave the bar. I was not checked or asked questions by the gardai, they just arrested me as I walked on the path. They did not even speak to me. I could not believe what was happening.I would have preferred to be asked questions and have the scenario explained to me. I did not display attitude as I was too shocked. To be honest, I am just upset about the whole thing but don't really want to make enemies.

Mr. Incognito

Then why are you in here looking for your legal rights to rain fire and brimstone down on the guards for arresting "soft" targets.

I have a lot of experience of guards, professionally and as a member of the public. I've never seen them quietly snatch someone walking along a path minding their own business nor dealt with a case with anything even vaguely similar and I've dealt with cases where the guards wrongfully arrested persons on a few occasions. Once as a witness and once professionally. In one case it was mistaken identity. In the other a guard turned a drug search into jumped up drunk and disorderly charges and got torn apart by a barrister for doing so in court, an occasion I happily witnessed. I have no time for crooked cops.

My guess is you were drunk and beligerent. Either inside to the staff who pointed you out the the guards when they arrived, outside or perhaps even both. I'm sure you're a lovely person but fact is, you were drunk. Give mother theresa a bottle of wine and she could turn on you.

Learn from it, forget about it and move one. Posting a patently untrue account in legal issues is not the way to garner sympathy, support or closure.

MagicSean

anne14marie wrote: »

In the town where I live, 2 people I know were beaten to death by people they never met before that night. They both came from well off families and were highly respected in their own right. Another teenager was knifed.The funerals were huge. The fights in the town are seen as normal.
Drugs are said to be very easily obtained but nothing is done about this.
Corruption is rife in the town. At stag doos and on a regular basis people drink till they say they are legless and thats when the fights start. I was causing no disorder unlike all the other stuff that happens in the town. How come soft targets like me are arrested but the people really causing the real trouble aren't?

There are a line of cars parked on double yellow lines. A garda gives a ticket to the first and second car but by that time the third car has driven off and he cant give them a ticket. Are the other two any less guilty? Take a look at the headlines. in the last two weeks 7 people were arrested on murder charges and four on drug charges. Nearly €1 million of drugs seized. Gardaí do their best to stop the big things but that doesn't mean they can ignore the small stuff. Alcohol related assaults and public order are really the only thing they have to deal with on friday and saturday nights because it is so rife. If you really feel aggrieved about your treatment by all means go to the ombudsman. That is your right. It wont affect your family at all. Might i also suggest that if you know so much about the drugs in the town you pass this info onto the Garda Confidential Hotline, 1800666111, and help to get the drugs out of the town.

Bosco boy

methinks there was an issue with you and the bouncer you referred to in your post, the gaurds deal with the situation in front of them like the gaurd that arrested you did. Just because there may be an outstanding murder to be solved in the district dosent mean that they cannot deal with you untill they have solved the murder, Its people like you who waste valuable police time with stuff like this, a good fine would not go astray. I've a feeling you might get a public order fine in the post, An adult caution cannot be given if you dont admit the offence which you dont, you could still get a summons, maybe someone has made a statement of complaint against you since the incident for whatever happened.

MagicSean

Bosco boy wrote: »

methinks there was an issue with you and the bouncer you referred to in your post, the gaurds deal with the situation in front of them like the gaurd that arrested you did. Just because there may be an outstanding murder to be solved in the district dosent mean that they cannot deal with you untill they have solved the murder, Its people like you who waste valuable police time with stuff like this, a good fine would not go astray. I've a feeling you might get a public order fine in the post, An adult caution cannot be given if you dont admit the offence which you dont, you could still get a summons, maybe someone has made a statement of complaint against you since the incident for whatever happened.

I forgot that they can issue fines for that stuff now.