Shoplifting detention and arrest
The police arrive at the store to interrogate a suspected thief in most cases of shoplifting arrests. If the value of the stolen property is below $ 1000, it is classified as minor shoplifting. According to the protocol, in such cases the police do not arrest them. Many businesses are reluctant to get bogged down in litigation. Therefore, a thief can get an informal reprimand or warning. However, shoplifting at target stores is quite a common case and if the police already know the shoplifter and this is not his first shoplifting arrest, most likely he will be arrested. For example, in Kansas, if the shoplifter has no previous convictions, and the property stolen by him costs less than $ 1000, then most likely he will only receive a ticket (or a subpoena).
After the rest
A subpoena will require you to appear in court on a specific date. In most cases, if a person is accused of minor or major theft, they will seek a legal counsel. A lawyer will act on your behalf and represent your interests in court. In addition, a lawyer can arrange that you do not have to go to court.
American lawyers act according to a certain algorithm. When it comes to protecting a person accused of shoplifting, he will get quality legal advice if he hires shoplifting experts. They work in the following way:
· Request police reports, videos, and any material that the city or state has collected as evidence against you to bring charges.
· Studying the entire evidence base as well as advising the client during the proceedings.
· Preparing different scenarios for client protection, proving absence of malicious intent to steal goods from the client.
What happens in the criminal court in a shoplifting case?
What does the prosecution have to prove in the case of theft? If a person is accused of theft, this does not mean that he will be convicted of theft. The prosecution still has to prove that the suspect had malicious intent at the time of the theft. A district judge is reviewing the case of a suspect of stealing goods worth less than $ 1,000.
If the stolen item is worth more than $ 1,000 (for example, the average brand laptop), and the suspect does not admit his guilt, he can choose who will handle his case - a jury or a district court judge. In addition, if you are accused of burglary, you can demand a jury trial.
Types of punishment for shoplifting
Criminal penalties can include community service, fines (up to $ 2,000, or 3 times the value of the property stolen) and even imprisonment (maximum of 7 years). Now that you know the accountability for shoplifting from target stores, you can ponder on whether it is worth stealing at all.
You might also like: cases of stars shoplifting and committing related crimes
“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kim Richards faced the trouble with the law in August 2015, after she was detained for shoplifting from Target store. Her shoplifting experience became notorious and she ended up in a community jail, but was released on bail the following morning.
