I'm Theresa and I went to jail twice for crimes that I didn't do, AMA.

1 hour later and she hasn't responded to anything.. Who the heck starts an ama and then doesn't answer a single question? Then again... Maybe she got deported again...

Ha ha. I did. And I left Canada voluntarily

Hi Theresa! Can you talk about what you were accused of and how you proved your innocence?

First arrest: kicking a hole in the wall, denting my father in law's car and assaulting my mother in law.

these charges weren't taken to trial.

Second arrest: assaulting my mother in law (this time she has bruises and bleeding cuts on her face and arm), assaulting my brother in law (he had a broken necklace as proof), multiple basketball-sized holes in the wall. bail restrictions included staying off of there property which they said i failed to comply... i wasn't there at all.

Third arrest: Police said they received a criminal harassment complaint from my mother in law and they wanna take me in for questioning and for possibly breaching my bail again, but the detective let me go. (About 3 years later, I meet this same detective who took me in and he told me my mother in law hates his guts for letting me go)

My lawyer pointed out that my mother in law had an underlying motive. For one, she was nowhere to be seen during my first bail hearing. On the second bail hearing, she went there and asked the prosecutor to have my husband's name included in the list of people I can't communicate with. (On the first arrest, my mother in law's sister posted my bail. I stayed in her house and my husband and I slept on the same bed. She was of course unhappy when she got this news.)

Some concerns that were raised in the trial: Debris. If I just kicked the holes in the wall, why did it look so clean? When did they have the time to clean it up before showing it to the police?

Contradicting statements. My mother in law testified on the witness stand for 2 days. My lawyer and the crown repeatedly asked the breakdown of what happened and each time, she gave out a different story. She said she saw me yielding a knife but couldn't describe if it was big or small although she said I was right in front of her. On some occasions, she said she was in the basement when I got on their property, on another she said she was in the foyer, and then on another she was in the living room watching me from the window. This was all replayed to her to remind her of what she said. They also played her year-old video and written testimony to show the court the inconsistencies of the statement.

I'd really like to know what exactly the crimes were.

Looks like assault and mischief exceeding $5000 although I am not a lawyer so I might be misinterpreting the documents (which I don't think I am).

Yeah I saw that but the specifics would be nice. Mischief can be a lot of things!

In cases where the investigating police officer is of the opinion that the property damage exceeds $5000.00, a mischief over $5000 charge is laid.

Only opens up more questions.

Aside from the holes in the wall I can't recall what else but they claimed that I went on a rampage and I broke everything in there house that's within my reach.

You mentioned that you previously had a bad track record and brushes with the police. May I ask what that entailed?

I've been apprehended by cops 2 times and instead of jail, I was detained in a psych facility. On one of those occasions it's for having "homicidal thoughts" from what I've read on my rap sheet. I was new in Canada and I didn't know what just happened. Basically I got in trouble for implying that I was gonna kill my roommate, even though in my head it was a joke.

Hello yashchoprafan! Your post has been removed because this topic isn't suitable for /r/IAmA. Try posting in /r/CasualIAmA instead.

Something uncommon that plays a central role in your life, or

Seems like it's suitable to me.

Going to jail and not being charged is a common event. The events that would make this uncommon (a conspiracy by your relatives) isn't provable and all AMAs require proof.

I sent you a link of my lawyer's website. He has a full list of all his clients and you will find my case there. It has the specifics.

Hi Theresa, I'm watching Making a Murderer too so I have to ask, what's the biggest memory you have about jail?

I only spent some days and a weekend in jail. It was a sad place. Some of the inmates in my block try to make it fun though. On the Saturday that I was there, some of them started dancing on the table and they were throwing play cards like it's pretend money and it's a strip club. The next day, it was cleaning and chapel day.

Did you serve any time and did they pay you any money after you got out?

The charges were dropped. I didn't get anything. In Ontario it's you vs the cops so I could sue the cops but I didn't have any money then. I would need more money to sue them now that it's been over 2 years.

Hi Theresa!

If anyone were to find themselves in a situation wherein they are being framed for crimes they have not committed, what advice would you give to said person so that they can have the best outcome in their favor?

Thanks for doing this AMA!

Pick a lawyer who's experienced in handling wrongful accusations, not just a regular defence lawyer. Try to recall everything that happened, everything you know about the parties involved, even the smallest details count. And of course, in the presence of the police, exercise your right to remain silent.

Are there things that have gotten better because of your convictions? (except for being free)

No. It depleted my family's money. My parents spent the sum of their pension money to pay for my lawyer (it's in Philippine peso which is much lower than Canadian). I was supposed to work a few more months until I can be eligible to apply as an immigrant but due to my legal troubles, I couldn't renew my work permit even though I was proven not guilty.

Hi Theresa. I'm curious about the stance your husband took through this. If he was dating you, did he side with you against his family? If he did, how did this still make it to court?

He wasnt in speaking terms with his family for 2 years. He did side with me but his statements had no weight to the police. Not sure how it ended up in court too...

Edit: Just saw on my lawyer's website, trial was required because there's possible jail time and deportation consequences.

Do they have Bob Barker sandals in Canadian jails? That was my favorite pair of sandals.

From what I recall, we had sneakers that were dollar store quality.