If a criminal turns himself in, shouldn't he get the reward money?

Question

ObscuredBeyond · Accepted Answer

Here's what I would call a reasonable compromise: he may delegate the reward money to whichever third party he deems worthy, provided the court approves of that individual as a respectable recipient. He just can't keep the money for himself.

In a book I'm writing, a teenage girl who accidentally leaked classified information was put on trial in juvenile court. She agreed to a plea bargain and her sentence was reduced to 1 month in juvie. However, her sister collaborated with a flamethrower-loving vigilante serial killer fugitive to take down a mutated man-tiger. The sister is also a super-skilled hacker with a group of friends that carry out cyber heists while nicknaming themselves after woodland critters. (It's a comic.)

Everything seems to be going fine, until the media catches word that a witness saw what looked like the convicted teen collaborating with the fugitive, who was at the time confused with yet another fugitive that can warp reality. (Yeah, it gets complicated.)

Anyway, the sister is angry that the media would implicate the convicted teen, so when the convict heads to the police station on the assigned date to surrender, the sister turns herself in. There's a reward for her capture. The sister with hacking skills finds a way to write a confession letter that leaves out her "critter" cyber friends, so she's the sole party taking the fall for collaborating with the flamethrower guy to fight the man-tiger.

Obviously, the original convicted teen doesn't get any money. But they don't reward the hacker gal either. Instead, hacker girl asks if her leaker sister's godfather can get the money. The court agrees.

That's how it should work in real life.

GotTheseMitts · Accepted Answer

No, it's called crime and punishment... not crime and reward

EmpatheticLady · Accepted Answer

It's wise to turn yourself in and not risk having more charges added to your record potentially, of course. However, no, he shouldn't get the reward money. Like someone else said, you should not be reward for doing something illegal.

sydneysister · Accepted Answer

Lol that would see a huge increase in the crime rate

emerald77 · Accepted Answer

Yes, yes he should :P

cinderelli · Answer

LOL.. yes he should.. i mean he should get the punishment.. but that money should go to his bank acount.. why should the government keep it.. he is the one who made an effort and turned himself in..

KDA20 · Answer

I think a lot of jurisdictions have a proviso that you can't profit from your crime.

HereForTheDay · Answer

lol - no. Criminals shouldn't profit from their illegal behavior

KHaskins · Answer

Try it and find out. 😏

DivaMonae · Answer

No but he gets less time...

zell0is0my0name · Answer

For what? He's a criminal :P

subzero007 · Answer

Lmao yes xD

If a criminal turns himself in, shouldn't he get the reward money?

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What Girls & Guys Said

So $30,000 is Trumps wannabe-gestapo bonus for arresting a criminal, and if not a criminal they make it up?

If a criminal turns himself in, shouldn't he get the reward money?

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What Girls & Guys Said

So $30,000 is Trumps wannabe-gestapo bonus for arresting a criminal, and if not a criminal they make it up?

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