Wrongfully Stopped and Charged

My question involves criminal law for the state of: FLORIDA

I went to this place to shop to buy my little brother a video game. While shopping around, an unknown male bumped into my basket. I looked at the guy, who was much bigger than me, and then continued looking at the things, I was looking at. I felt another bump and realized the guy had taken the game out of my basket.At first I thought it was a joke, until he looked at me and said, "Walk Away".

I knew then he was up to no good and I definetly did not want to have anything to do with that. So I walked off and went to the bathroom, deciding if I was going to report it or mind my own business. I was scared, so I stopped shopping and left the store.

When I got half way out in the parking lot, I was stopped by the police and placed in handcuffs. They would not tell me what was going on. Then about 10 minutes later that guy came walking out the door and the police rushed him and placed him in handcuffs. They took us back to the security office. The guy had other merchandise on him and confessed to stealing, not knowing me and that he was homeless. Yet they still charged me with Petty Theft 300<5000. How is this possible?

You helped him commit the theft. There's more than enough probable cause for your arrest. You need a lawyer.

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Quoting WRITERSBLOCK286

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I felt another bump and realized the guy had taken the game out of my basket.At first I thought it was a joke, until he looked at me and said, "Walk Away".

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Okay... you're in the store, he's in the store, he takes something out of your basket... and then what? Why did he need to involve you at all?

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Quoting WRITERSBLOCK286

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I knew then he was up to no good and I definetly did not want to have anything to do with that.

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What did you think he was up to?

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Quoting WRITERSBLOCK286

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I was scared, so I stopped shopping and left the store.

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Should we infer that the theory, then, is that you were partnered with this person, you handed off the merchandise to him, you went into the bathroom while he left the store with the merchandise, and that you were going to reconnect in the parking lot after you left the store? If not, what is the store's/police/prosecutor's theory of your involvement?

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Quoting WRITERSBLOCK286

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When I got half way out in the parking lot, I was stopped by the police and placed in handcuffs.

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That suggests that the police had been called some time earlier. When was the call made to the police, why was it placed, and were you described as being potentially involved when the call was placed? (If you don't yet have a copy of the police report, get a copy as soon as it's available or have your lawyer seek a copy.)

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Quoting WRITERSBLOCK286

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They would not tell me what was going on.

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They arrested you first? Then it's safe to infer that you were reported as being part of a shoplifting enterprise.

It's going to be important to know what is in the police report.

So what was the parking lot discount going to be from "Homeless Video"?