Runaway bride must pay for her criminal behavior

The 32-year-old woman whose lies triggered a nationwide search for her has been indicted on charges of telling police a phony story about being kidnapped and sexually assaulted. However, an arrest warrant for Jennifer Wilbanks of Duluth, Ga., had not been issued as of late last week. Why? Because she's undergoing psychiatric care.
We aren't buying her family's explanation that she checked into a medical facility after her return for treatment of "physical and mental issues." To us, it's just another attempt by Wilbanks to shirk responsibility -- just as she did when she hopped a bus and disappeared on April 26, four days before her planned 600-guest wedding. She traveled to Las Vegas and then Albuquerque, N.M., where she called authorities to say she had been abducted.
Even the abduction yarn displayed a level of connivance that justifies a harsh assessment of her act: She claimed that her kidnappers were a white woman and a Hispanic man. The obvious racial undertone had the desired effect of garnering nationwide sympathy and a sense of urgency to find her.
It was only after she showed up at a police station in New Mexico and was questioned by authorities that her story began to unravel. She subsequently recanted and said she fled Georgia for unspecified reasons.
She returned to Duluth on April 30, the day she was to be married in a ceremony with 14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen.
Since then, she has been portrayed by many as a victim rather than a villain.
Consequences
We agree with Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter, who said last week after the indictment was issued, "At some point there has to be a consequence for lying to the police."
This wasn't a simple white lie -- it cost local and state governments money. Unfortunately, individuals charged with protecting the public treasury seem willing to give her a pass.
The price tag for the search is estimated at $50,000, but Duluth Mayor Shirley Lassetter has said she would be willing to accept the $13,250 that Wilbanks has offered to pay. Several other state and county agencies have already said they will not ask the runaway bride to reimburse them for $10,000 in search costs.
Such kindness is not warranted. This wasn't a case of a woman fleeing a life-threatening situation. The man she was to marry, his family and her family were loving and caring. She simply had second thoughts about going through with the wedding. But rather than talking to relatives, friends, her priest or even a psychiatrist, she decided to concoct a story that made national headlines.
This is no wide-eyed innocent -- even though photographs of her with a eyes wide open suggest a certain vulnerability. From 1996 to 1998, Wilbanks, a nurse, was arrested three times in Hall County on shoplifting charges.
An arrest warrant in this latest incident must be issued immediately and District Attorney Porter must prosecute her to the fullest extent of the law. His comment last week that he would not rule out a plea agreement is premature.
She could face up to six years in prison if convicted of the felony charge of making a false statement and the misdemeanor count of making a false police report. She could also be fined $11,000 and be ordered to reimburse authorities for the cost of the search.
Jennifer Wilbanks had options, and the one she chose speaks volumes about her.