Should Wilbanks Be Prosecuted?

Last week's search for runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks cost her hometown of Duluth, Ga., at least $60,000, officials estimate, and could land her in legal hot water.

Her embarrassed fiancé says he forgives her, but the local district attorney says he's still deciding whether to file charges.

Possible counts include the false reporting of a crime, which is a misdemeanor, and making false statements, a felony, says Gwinett County (Ga.) District Attorney Daniel Porter.

But, should Wilbanks be prosecuted?

Co-anchor Hannah Storm heard opposite views on The Early Show Tuesday.

And CBSNews.com wants to know what you think. Cast your vote on this page.

Defense attorney Gloria Allred asked rhetorically, "Do I think she should be prosecuted and convicted and, what? Sentenced to 20 years of marriage as a punishment? No! I think that that's over the top.

"I think that this is a person who could voluntarily pay back law enforcement for the costs of the search. And I think that she should do so. But she doesn't have to be prosecuted and convicted to make her pay. She could just choose to do that.

"Do I think she is a danger to the community? Is there going to be an epidemic of runaway brides if she's not prosecuted? Of course not.

"She's been punished enough. She's been humiliated in front of her family and her friends. She had to come back and walk through an aisle of an airport with a blanket over her head instead of walking down the aisle with a bride's veil. I think she's been punished enough."

CBS News legal analyst Wendy Murphy, a former prosecutor, told Storm she would prosecute Wilbanks: "She caused a great deal of harm. When people do bad things and cause a lot of harm in society, they're supposed to be punished. I realize she deserves some sympathy as well. She may have mental health issues, but that doesn't mean she gets a free pass.

"She not only cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, she diverted precious law enforcement resources, which means cops weren't out there solving real crimes. And frankly, she caused her fiance a great deal of scorn and suspicion. I had the guy drawn and quartered. And that's her fault."She deserves to be punished," says Murphy. "I'm not saying she should go to prison. She should be prosecuted, she should be on probation, and during her probationary period, she should be made to pay back all the money that she cost taxpayers."

Murphy pointed out that the "entire country is watching this case. There is a question now, can you get away with this sort of behavior? And we all need to hear that the answer to that question is, 'Absolutely not.' Not because we are worried about runaway brides, but we are worried about message sending. People need to hear that this behavior is unacceptable. I don't think she should be locked up, but she needs to be prosecuted and it is the best way to get the money back. …She doesn't get a pass because she's wealthy or cute."

"Frankly," Murphy added, "I think there is a fair amount of gender bias going on here. If this was a guy who did this, who caused this sort of harm, no one would be feeling bad for him. They'd be saying, 'Lock him up.' We have to be fair and even-handed here. She should be prosecuted."

To which Allred responded, "I totally disagree. You know, there are a lot of runaway dads out there who cross state lines and don't pay their child support and should, and that is a crime. Many of them are never prosecuted. This is not to say that it's right. But come on. I don't see any gender bias here. This is a woman who was obviously going through some kind of meltdown. She did a stupid thing. But a lot of people do stupid things before they get married and a lot of us have done stupid things after we get married. That doesn't mean she should be put in handcuffs and sent to jail."