Shoplifting First Offense

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Massachusetts

Hi, quick question. This was my first offence and i have an absolutely clean record (no tickets, no run ins with the cops,) i am 18 years old and i dont even know what i was thinking. Basically the item was 2.99 and i was detained for it. I got a Notice of Civil Demand saying that i will be "receiving a letter from our company in the future, explaining the amount of monetary damages we will be seeking." the police also wasnt involved however the company did take down my information for their purposes. Also, they told me that that the company probably wasnt going to "charge me" or "make me pay" for the item.

Am i facing jail time? Court? a Heavy fine (i read its supposed to be below 200) please help! thanks!

If there's no police involved, you won't be dealing with anything more than the Civil Demand letter, and possibly your name in the National Retail Theft Database.

How high would you say is my possibility of being put in the National Retail Theft Database? Also do you know what the ball park of my civil demand letter is going to be? I'm assuming somewhere around 250. Also, in order to be entered into the national retail theft database do they need your SSN? because the only thing that LP took down with the info on my license, no SSN. I also didnt fill out anything that asked for my ssn and so on / so forth.

The theft database depends on if the store subscribes - the list is a closely guarded secret.

As for the Civil Demand, every state has their own laws regarding the amount. Usually it's X times the value of goods stolen or a minimum/maximum amount.

I'd expect $250.

It's really not a closely guarded secret. Here's a link to their advisory board.

...that's just the obvious ones, from what I understand.....

So then what, do you only get onto the database if you pay the civil demand / convicted of shoplifting.

No, you don't have to have either to be in the database. Generally, if you signed a letter of admission at the time you were stopped *THAT* is what triggers the entry.

The only thing i signed was an agreement from the building it happened in (the general mall, not the store itself) that i was banned for a year / would be arrested for trespassing if i showed up again.. So unless thats an admission of guilt, then i didnt.