Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyers

Georgia criminal defense lawyers fight criminal offenses in all GA courts.

Free Consultation

(888) 205-9314

  • Home
  • Sentencing & Penalties
  • Criminal Court Procedures
  • About Us
    • Disclaimer Privacy Policy
  • Blog

Woman Reports Truck Stolen, Arrested and Jailed for Someone Else’s Crime

November 1, 2011

When you call the police to report a crime, the thought probably doesn’t even cross your mind that you will be the one arrested and jailed. But that’s exactly what happened to Teresa Culpepper on August 21.

Culpepper phoned the police to report her truck stolen. It had been taken from out in front of her Hawkins Street home. When the police arrived, they decided to arrest Culpepper on an aggravated assault charge—an offense she didn’t commit and for which there was no valid warrant for her arrest.

There was a warrant for another woman named Teresa, however. She didn’t look like Culpepper, didn’t have a similar address, a similar birthdate, or a similar last name. Culpepper was arrested simply for sharing the name Teresa.

It would be 53 days later before Culpepper would be released from Fulton County Jail. She spent almost 2 months in jail for something she didn’t do and knew nothing about.

Culpepper was assigned a public defender and it wasn’t until this attorney got the victim of the alleged assault to come to court and say Culpepper was not the Teresa who assaulted her, that she was released. You would think all of the other information, like her name, date of birth, and physical description would have been enough.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the actual suspect has still not been arrested and spoke with Channel 2 about the case.

Not surprisingly, Culpepper is now considering a civil suit against the city for her arrest and extended stay in the local jail.

Cases of mistaken identity are rare but do happen. Typically, however, the mistake lies in an eyewitness identification. Even in cases as serious as murder, eyewitness identification can be flawed and undetected until long after a conviction and sentence are handed down. Many DNA exonerations are connected to flawed eyewitness identification or testimonies.

When you are facing charges of a crime and you know you are innocent, it’s common to feel like no one believes you, especially the cops and the prosecutor. Your defense attorney is often your only advocate within the criminal courts. However, if you are innocent, it is your attorney’s job to help prove this and resolve the case with minimal negative effects on your life.

If you’ve been accused of something you didn’t do and are in need of counsel, contact us today.

Filed Under: criminal law Tagged With: criminal justice

Free Consultation

Contact our attorneys for a free legal case evaluation on any criminal charge by calling:


(888) 205-9314


Receive our free legal defense consultation and case evaluation. We'll explain what you are facing in plain language, and tell you how we can help.

Georgia Criminal Charges

  • Assault and Battery
  • Burglary
  • Criminal Damage – Trespassing
  • Criminal Traffic Offenses
  • Disorderly Conduct
  • Domestic Violence
  • Drug Possession
  • Drug Possession – Cocaine
  • Drug Possession – Heroin
  • Drug Possession – Marijuana
  • Drug Possession – Methamphetamine
  • DUI – First Offense
  • DUI – Second/Third Offense
  • Drug Possession – Intent to Distribute / Drug Trafficking
  • Failure To Appear
  • Fraud
  • Hit and Run
  • Restraining Order Violations
  • Robbery
  • Stalking
  • Suspended License
  • Theft – Shoplifting
  • Weapons Charges
Copyright © 2022 Get Lawyer Leads, Inc.
THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT. This is not a law firm or referral service and does not provide legal advice. This is a free matching service only, claim reviews will be performed by a third party attorney. An attorney-client relationship is not formed when you submit the form and you are under no obligation to retain a lawyer who contacts you through this service. Services are not available in all states.