Sherri Papini was released on a $120,000 bond Tuesday, but USA Today notes that's far from the most interesting detail to come out of the federal court hearing. Papini, who claimed to have been kidnapped and held for three weeks in 2016 but is accused of actually having spent 22 days with an ex-boyfriend in Southern California, was arrested last Thursday. How she came to be arrested was discussed as part of her detention hearing. Prosecutor Veronica Alegria stated that officials had been surveilling Papini's home and trailed her to her children's music lesson.
To distance her from her children, Papini was falsely told once inside that her car had been damaged in the parking lot. She exited the building, and Alegria says an FBI agent informed her she was under arrest. "She screamed 'no,' and turned and ran," Alegria said, but the agent caught up with her and arrested her. In the process, Papini tossed her phone about 20 feet, said Alegria. The New York Post adds Alegria notes that "at some point during the arrest her children did exit the building and did see her arrest."
Papini's lawyer focused on that point, saying, "It's certainly conceivable that Ms. Papini thought her children were in danger, turned to protect them, and her actions were misinterpreted by the agent," per USA Today. "I don't think this is evidence of resisting arrest. ... It appears to be evidence of being caught by surprise." The judge ordered the 39-year-old to undergo psychiatric treatment, surrender her passport, and submit a DNA sample. She didn't speak during the hearing, which she attended via Zoom. Her next court date is March 25. (Read more on the allegations against her here.)
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