A grandmother in Colorado was arrested late last month for a crime she was accused of decades ago. The woman faced charges in the 1970s for credit card theft. She says a woman she was traveling with was using stolen credit cards. She didn't fight the charges against her, completed probation and didn't look back.

Last month, however, her past caught up with her for no apparent reason. The woman was arrested when police in Colorado were notified that officials in another state had activated a warrant for her arrest for violating probation, which she had completed years ago.

The woman was released after five days in jail, but the experience was confusing and overwhelming. The police say the woman needed to be arrested because of the warrant issued by the other state, and they were just doing their jobs. Situations like this can happen at any time. Wrongful arrests are sometimes caused by miscommunication, or as in this case, an unknown law enforcement or judicial official in another state digging up a closed case.

The county in the other state said they will be looking into the reason the warrant was issued so long after the woman's probation ended. Although they might review the situation, it doesn't change the fact that the woman had to spend five days in jail, possibly risking her employment, or missing out on other scheduled obligations. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help a person understand exactly why they have been arrested and help them form a rigorous criminal defense.

Source: KKTV, "Colorado Springs Grandmother Wrongfully Arrested," Mecca Rayne, Jan. 28, 2013.

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