How to Remove a Trespass Ban After Getting Caught Stealing

My question involves criminal law for the state of: OR

Hello, I was recently caught shoplifting 2 drinks and a doughnut from Winco, totaling about $5.

They gave me the option of being charged and taking a a several hundred dollar fine or being banned for 99 years. I chose the latter.

Is there any way I can get my ban removed without paying a lot and being charged? It was a silly mistake with a very drastic punishment, and I am hoping I can resolve it in another way.

Thank you.

You can ask them to shorten or lift the ban. They have the right to say "no".

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Quoting Aisbeforeyou

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Is there any way I can get my ban removed without paying a lot and being charged? It was a silly mistake with a very drastic punishment, and I am hoping I can resolve it in another way.

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The ban from the store is not something the law imposes. That’s the choice of the store — like any business it may refuse to serve anyone so long as the reason for denying service is not illegal discrimination (e.g. your race, religion, disability, etc). No law makes it illegal to ban people who stole from the store so the store is free to ban you for as long as it likes. If you want to return to the store you’ll need to ask the store management to allow you to return. My experience with this (though Winco specifically) is that most stores won’t let you return right away. They might consider it a year or more down the road, but letting you back so soon would be like inviting more theft, and they won’t be eager to do that.

Minimizing it by calling it a “silly mistake” does not help. You presumably knew theft is wrong and illegal, but still did it anyway. That is a moral lapse, not just a mistake. Acknowledging that what you did was wrong and taking responsibility for that will be more likely to impress the store that this was a one time thing that won’t happen again than trying to brush it off as no big deal. But realistically, you probably should wait awhile before asking to go back. Find a different place for coffee and donuts.

You were lucky; had they made a criminal complaint and you ended up with a conviction for theft that would cause you a lot more trouble than just whatever the fine might be. A lot of employers won’t hire people with theft convictions and it can be hard to get certain professional licenses, etc., with a criminal record. They could still file the criminal complaint, so you might want to just let this sit and not remind them of it.