Caught Shoplifting Along With a Friend

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Florida.

Today at walgreens me n my friend were hold for shoplifting.the stuff were under $100.
They caller police and police came..the walgreens manager wrote our adress and police took our social numbers.
They let us go after 1 hour ( we were at store )
Now we are worrying will they send a court letter or something ?
When they let us go they said don't come back to this store again.they didn't took our finger prints or something.
And we don't have any bad record in past this was first time .
Plz tell me what will happen?
We are scare to the death.

You'll most likely get a letter from Walgreens asking for restitution.
If the the police were called, you can expect to get charged criminally. Despite what you say on TV. Every prosecution does not begin with you being dragged off in handcuffs, read your rights, and taken for mugshots and fingerprints.

You will be invited to go to the police station to pose for the mugshots and give your fingerprints.

Like Ron said, you will get a letter in the mail asking for restitution. You will also be given fines from the court. You may be given Community Service (you pay) or ordered into an AntiShoplifting Class (at your expense)..

But they didn't said anything like that?
Isnt it possible that was all? They said don't come back to walgreens again?
Are you sure we are going to get a letter or fine?

99.999999% of shoplifters will get a Civil Demand Restitution Letter. Pay this.

I don't know your age, but if you are under 18, you need to be telling your parents this information. If you are 18 or over, it will be in your name.

Don't pay this fine? Well, you will get a couple chances to do so....but the amount will increase. If you still don't pay it, you will have to go to Civil Court, where the stores lawyers will win a judgment. If you still don't pay, let's just say your credit history is screwed. Don't try to buy a car, don't try to get an apartment, don't try to get a credit card....

If you're under 18....then your parents credit would be screwed.

Along with that, as police were called, you will be getting a date for Criminal Court.

In the end, expect this to cost you and your friend $2000+ EACH. And expect to have a criminal record.

Yes, mugshots and fingerprints WILL be taken, the court will tell you when to do this.

Oh GOD that's alot .
We are over 21.

They didn't said anything just police said don't come back to store again.
Do you think that was it?

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Quoting PandorasBox

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Don't pay this fine? Well, you will get a couple chances to do so....but the amount will increase. If you still don't pay it, you will have to go to Civil Court, where the stores lawyers will win a judgment. If you still don't pay, let's just say your credit history is screwed. Don't try to buy a car, don't try to get an apartment, don't try to get a credit card....

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More accurately, there's a possibility of being sued for an unpaid civil demand.

Assuming that you are prosecuted, you can read the stickied threads about court and possible outcomes. You will have to investigate yourself or consult a local criminal defense attorney about the possibility of diversion or deferral - as you are over 21, it's less likely that you're eligible, but policies vary significantly between jurisdictions.

If you choose to shoplift, you run the risk of being caught, prosecuted and getting a criminal record. That's how the system is supposed to work. As an adult shoplifting with an accomplice, it seems fair to infer that you've gotten away with a lot of shoplifting over the years. Very few people start shoplifting as adults, let alone in tandem with an accomplice.

Believe me...when that Civil Demand comes in...it will be for a lot more money that the total merchandise you and your friend attempted to steal.

It pays for the wages/benefits/insurance on the detectives who watched and detained you. The time spent filling out the paperwork. The store manager who had to sign the paperwork. A little to the cameras installed to catch shoplifters.....

Hmmmm lets seE..
May be that was it and we wont get any criminal record kr CD :(

Police were involved. You will be getting a court date.

Aside from the Civil Demand, you will have Court Costs, Fine, MugShot, Fingerprinting, at the very least.

Get a Criminal Defense Attorney. The charges may be reduced.

But police didn't gave any ticket or asked for phone number or said anything like that ..all they said were you can not come back to walgreens.

We have a clear record so may be that's why they let us go...other wise they could have arrest or something ?

Yes. Maybe that's the case and nothing else will happen. Maybe you will not have to take any further responsibility for your criminal actions.

On the other hand, maybe they're just waiting for the warrant to come through and you'll have a criminal record for the rest of your life.

I realize that you are looking desperately for someone to assure you that since you were not dragged down to the police station in handcuffs, that means that the most that can possibly happen is the civil demand.

However, anyone who tells you that since you have not yet been arrested and dragged to jail, you can never be arrested and dragged to jail, is either lying to you or doesn't understand the process.

Now, if a year from now, no one has dragged you off to jail, then maybe you can start to relax.

Hmmmm...
So normally in how many days they send you a CD or court letter?

I don't know. How busy are they?

They even gave us hard time..my friends 2 years daughters was crying we asked for water they didn't gave us..we were there 2 hours this lilttle child cried for 2 hours and they didn't gave us water for her.
Can we make a case on them ?

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Quoting Rozy081

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They even gave us hard time..my friends 2 years daughters was crying we asked for water they didn't gave us..we were there 2 hours this lilttle child cried for 2 hours and they didn't gave us water for her.
Can we make a case on them ?

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You're kidding, right?

If anything, your friend might face child services for putting the child in such a position.

Oh and the stuff they found was in stollar..
The lady police checked us they didn't found anything in our purses or body.

Why us?? ???

If the child was distressed, it was as a direct result of her parent's actions.

I mean really - taking the kid shoplifting with you?

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Quoting Rozy081

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Hmmmm...
So normally in how many days they send you a CD or court letter?

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There is no "normally."

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Quoting Rozy081

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Oh and the stuff they found was in stollar..
The lady police checked us they didn't found anything in our purses or body.

Why us?? ???

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Because you were stealing by your own admission. Why NOT you?

I wonder how that stuff got into the stroller? Because you and your friend placed it there?

Honey, I can't stress enough....police were called. They wrote up a report, which is then forwarded to the Prosecutor, who will issue you a court date.

That report will also mention that the items were concealed in a stroller with a toddler. So your friend may get a visit from Child Protective Services.

Or maybe the store LP will directly contact child services .....been known to happen.

The baby saw glasses and was shouting she want one so we gave her then they was lipstick and asked for one we have her and nail polish she took it by her self..
It was not like we wanted to steal but we thought they might not see the stuff let's go out with this..
Coz even when police came the baby wasn't giving them sun glassed lipstick n nail polish ..before police came we told manager to we are ready to pay for this when police came we also told them that we want to pay for it.

Don't you think they would have said we will send you a letter or something ?

The police man said you can not come back to this store if they were to send some letter or something they should have said ..no?

There were 2 police men...they didn't took our finger prints they didn't give any paper to sing or fill any paper ?

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It was not like we wanted to steal but we thought they might not see the stuff let's go out with this..

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In other words, you made the conscious decision to steal.

You keep asking the same questions over and over again, and they've been answered over and over again. You're not going to find anyone in this forum who is going to try to reassure you that you don't have to suffer the consequences of your actions.

They've got a year to prosecute. So stay out of Walgreen's, stop shoplifting, and for the love of all that is sacred and profane, stop blaming the baby. NO is a terrific word, and one that you and your friend clearly need to learn.

But I wanted to know if they were to send me any letter or something so within how many days they will send ?

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Quoting Rozy081

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But I wanted to know if they were to send me any letter or something so within how many days they will send ?

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I told you there is no "normal" time frame. There is no crystal ball here.

How long it takes to send the Civil Demand Letter depends on how busy the stores lawyers are with shoplifters. You BOTH will get letters.

How long it takes to get the summons from the court - again, it depends on how busy the court is. I guarantee you, you will both be receiving letters with a court date.

You show no remorse for your actions. The judge is not going to like that. Nor is your lawyer. We've told you the best advice - get a Criminal Defense Lawyer. And another piece of advice - get into counseling or Shoplifters Anonymous.

Your friend and you both better learn to say NO to the toddler. It is her responsibility as a PARENT to tell her child
"No", and to know what her kid is doing....that will be a responsibility until her kid turns 18. Do you really want to go into court and say "We couldn't say no" or "We didn't know what she was doing"? That is gonna have Child Protective Services all over your friends ass.

Right now you are talking MULTIPLE items in that stroller. By your "Under $100" remark....that likely means over $75. You bet it will be prosecuted in court.

Little story for you.

I am a reformed shoplifter.

Police were called. I was released on personal recognizance.

I think it was two weeks to receive the Civil Demand Letter. Then a court date in the mail.

I went to court. My lawyer got my charge reduced to Disorderly Person, and everything done in one day. Bear in mind, the original charge will still show up on a background check.

I was ordered to pay court fines (I did so that day). I was also ordered that I had by X date (2 weeks or so) to go to the State Sheriff's Dept for fingerprinting and mugshot, and submit proof to the Clerk of the Court that I had done so. I did it that day.

So you know this advice is coming from someone who has been there, done it....

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But I wanted to know if they were to send me any letter or something so within how many days they will send ?

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They have a year. What part of this is unclear?

Not it was not even over $75 it was around 40/45.

On another site you asked if this was going to keep you from becoming a citizen - are you still look for an answer regarding that?

Yes I'm looking for that answer too ...

I havent done any murder or rape.

Still enough to have a Misdemeanor.

Your crime is one of moral turpitude.

It will be looked at by potential employers, who will reject you in favor of an honest employee with a clean background. Some apartments will not lease to you. Do you understand how serious this is?

Sure, it's not rape or murder....but it is theft.....

Ok I understand about job or apartment but why it will stop me to be an USA citizen?

What I will have to do for it then ?

Is it possible that we only get CD not court date or ciriminal record ?

Sorry for asking but im very upset right now .

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Ok I understand about job or apartment but why it will stop me to be an USA citizen?

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Because it is a crime of moral turpitude. That means that you don't have decent enough moral character to be a citizen. We have enough criminals who are natural born citizens, we don't have any desire to import more.

That said, you MAY be saved by the Petty Theft exception, which essentially says that ONE instance of petty theft is not enough to completely sink your application for naturalization. Understand that you have rendered yourself deportable.

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Is it possible that we only get CD not court date or ciriminal record ?

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Asked and answered. Multiple times. NO ONE CAN ANSWER THIS, THEY HAVE A YEAR TO DECIDE.

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Sorry for asking but im very upset right now .

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Should have considered that before you chose to steal.

Ok thanks for replying .

CLASSIC! Some of these can't be real.

You may have a good case for crimes against humanity......write to B Obama at the White House about your becoming a citizen - he has a few relatives that are facing the same situation - they're collecting social security and live in public housing while they await a decision on their status.

^ What you mean?

I would say your citizenship is screwed, without the help of a Criminal Defense Attorney, AND you will also need an Immigration Attorney to talk with as well.

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Quoting Rozy081

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Why us?? ???

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Because you were with an obviously evil baby! :wallbang:

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Quoting Rozy081

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The baby saw glasses and was shouting she want one so we gave her then they was lipstick and asked for one we have her and nail polish she took it by her self..
It was not like we wanted to steal but we thought they might not see the stuff let's go out with this..
Coz even when police came the baby wasn't giving them sun glassed lipstick n nail polish.............

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See! It's all the evil baby's fault. Didn't want to give up the goods even when the police showed up!

I say deport the baby before it commits any more evil offenses! :eek:

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Quoting viol8te

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CLASSIC! Some of these can't be real.

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But they are mi amigo. They very much are!

Ain't it great?!?:D