March is here. The daffodils are blooming, the herring are spawning and Spring is right around the corner. And that means so is Easter.
Unless your children saw the movie Donnie Darko at a young age, they love the Easter Bunny. And why not? He leaves them colourful, candy-filled eggs and small gifts. But what if the Easter Bunny isn’t as innocent as he seems? What if the mutant, linebacker-sized white rabbit routine was just a ruse to get into your house and steal your valuables? What should you do if you suspect the Easter Bunny is stealing from you?
First of all, theft is a criminal offence and you should contact the police immediately. The maximum sentence the Easter Bunny could receive if the value of the stolen goods exceeds $5,000 is 10 years in jail. If the value of the stolen goods is less than $5,000, then the Easter Bunny is only looking at two years in jail at most. If he is a first-time offender or has a minimal criminal record, it’s quite possible he would not receive any jail time at all. The Easter Bunny could also be ordered to pay you restitution if the stolen goods are not recovered.
Once the police arrest the Easter Bunny, they may decide to release him on an undertaking that he refrain from doing certain things while he awaits his trial, such as not attend at your residence or contact you. If the Easter Bunny contacts you and threatens to never bring your children Easter eggs again, then he would be in breach of his undertaking. You should call the police immediately if this happens. If the police suspect the Easter Bunny has a substance abuse issue, they might also require that he refrain from using alcohol or non-prescribed drugs before they release him.
Alternatively, the police might want to keep the Easter Bunny in jail while he awaits his trial. This means the Easter Bunny would be brought before a judicial officer, who would make the decision whether to release him and on what terms. Those terms would likely include the ones mentioned above.
Finally, in addition to contacting the police, you should consider bringing an action against the Easter Bunny in civil court. The lawyers at Shook Wickham Bishop & Field have experience in all forms of civil litigation and can help.