bailee
In the criminal law context, a bailee is a person who has been entrusted with the possession of property belonging to another person.
A bailee is typically responsible for taking reasonable care of the property and for returning it to the owner when it is no longer needed or when the owner requests its return.
In criminal law, a bailee may be charged with a crime if they fail to take reasonable care of the property in their possession or if they intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy the property. A bailee may also be charged with a crime if they intentionally or recklessly retain the property beyond the agreed-upon period of time or if they use the property for their own benefit without the owner’s consent.
Examples of situations in which a person may be a bailee include when they are entrusted with the possession of another person’s car to repair or maintain, when they are given a key to another person’s house to check on the property while the owner is away, or when they are given a valuable item to hold for safekeeping.
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