Stopped With A Friend Who Was Caught Shoplifting

I am 16 and I was with 2 friends and one of them was caught shoplifting at mervyn's and niether my friend nor I had anything to do with it, but they stopped all of us and now they say I have to pay a $300 fine even though I never did anything. Do they have a case?? Would i have to pay for it??:confused:

ps i live in california

This is an ancient story and one that is rarely believed.

Give a more detailed story you might get some answers. However if you were with the thieves and stayed with them and had knowledge of theft you can be charged as well! Even if your only role was lookout

You can be charged as a accomplice to shoplifting (or many other crimes) if you take any form of a active roll to aid in the theft ie lookout, distraction, plan it out...etc

However since I know a little about LP and he has come on a legal board to ask this I think that the LP should at least give the kid somewhat the "benifit of the doubt" and at least review the CCTV (im sure they were watching them :D) - if the kid's story holds up then there will be no conclusive evidence on the tape that he, in any way, was aiding the theft and that he, honestly, was just hanging near his pal ... who was shoplifting ... if he was just hanging near his pal - let him GO ... if guilty - pay.

PS - I say this because this HAPPENED to me. Freind of mine was S/Ling in Nordstorms and we both got stopped. LP took us back, reviewed the tape, saw that I was simply trying on clothes next to my pal who was, solely, lifting - and released me without even a warning or ban ie "I can go back there and shop if I wanted".

Reviewing the tape is of course an option however why even bring him to LP office if he didnt already know he played a role!? LP watched theft they already know who played what role in the theft. The OP did something that convinced the LPO that he (OP) was a participant in the theft.

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Quoting panther10758

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Reviewing the tape is of course an option however why even bring him to LP office if he didnt already know he played a role!?

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You honestly think that LP officers never bring anyone back to question unless they *KNOW* someone was stealing?

If these guys were as good as you think, they would be working for the FBI, not K-Mart.

You clearly know little on LP work or trainning. An LP is not to bring a suspect into LP Office unless they have all the required elements to make a stop. They cannot bring in a suspect with all these elements. In this case the LP "must" have had all his/her elements to make a shoplifting arrest. This of course includes knowledge of OP's involvement.

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Quoting panther10758

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You clearly know little on LP work or trainning. An LP is not to bring a suspect into LP Office unless they have all the required elements to make a stop. They cannot bring in a suspect with all these elements. In this case the LP "must" have had all his/her elements to make a shoplifting arrest. This of course includes knowledge of OP's involvement.

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I have been taken to the "back room" twice in my life for shoplifting. Once was because a 50 year old man i was speaking to ( I did not know him) was caught shoplifting. I took nothing, they could not prove i took anything, I did not even know the man's name.

The second time i was "busted" for shoplifting was for putting my cell phone into my jacket pocket. Again, they had to let me go, and i landed a $100 gift certificate to Target for my troubles(I raised holy hell).

So do not sit here and tell me LP does not screw up.

Once again you assume! LP makes mistake so do Cops Doctors etc etc. What I said was that LP has a criteria for stops! Neither you nor I were present at OPs stop so we know little. I made a blanket statement regarding the rules a Loss Prevention Office must follwo to make a stop. Yes mistakes happen and when they do the LPM or Store Manager should take action on the LP who did not follow the guidelines to make stops. We do not know if this is such a mistake or not unlike your incident OP knew the lifter and was with him during the theft. Your bias clouds your thinking on this one.

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Quoting panther10758

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We do not know if this is such a mistake or not

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This is exactly my point. We do not know, yet you assume that the LP would never have taken the guy without *knowing* that he was involved in the theft.

You said: "LP watched theft they already know who played what role in the theft."

Who is assuming now?

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Quoting panther10758

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Once again you assume!

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Yes, i assume innocence until proof is provides otherwise. Wait, that sounds like something I have heard before.

I am not assuming anything! I am stateting what guidelines LP must follow to make stop. I have not assumed guilt nor innocence I do not have your bias do to your unfortunate experience. The possibiltiy that there was a mistake exist however its also possible that OP did play a role in theft even if just am observer or lookout! In which case in many states that makes him guilty of theft as well.

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Quoting panther10758

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I am not assuming anything!

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We are obviously going to disagree on this point. You clearly said: "LP watched theft they already know who played what role in the theft."

How is this not assuming? You stated that LP watched the theft(assumption) and that they know who played what role(assumption). What exactly is your definition of assumption?

Where I would love to sit and debate with you (my personal stalker) I wont. we can agree to diagree and we will in the future since it seems you follow nealry 80% of my posts! I was displaying a possible version for other side (not present) doing so displayed what could be called assumptions yes. I donot know Lps version which could be right or wrong as stated I displayed another possible angle to said event. I am sure this will come up again as you tend to follow me wherever I go.

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Quoting panther10758

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(my personal stalker)...since it seems you follow nealry 80% of my posts! ... I am sure this will come up again as you tend to follow me wherever I go.

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Do not flatter yourself. Count your posts again, and see how many I actually say anything on, then, check and see what was said. If you post misinformation, I will surely point it out, just as I would anyone. You just tend to post more than others.

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Quoting panther10758

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Where I would love to sit and debate with you (my personal stalker) I wont. we can agree to diagree and we will in the future since it seems you follow nealry 80% of my posts! I was displaying a possible version for other side (not present) doing so displayed what could be called assumptions yes. I donot know Lps version which could be right or wrong as stated I displayed another possible angle to said event. I am sure this will come up again as you tend to follow me wherever I go.

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Uh, Panther! Maybe if you didn't look like Fabio, you wouldn't be followed. Now cut that hair and stay off the covers of romance novels!

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Quoting panther10758

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I am not assuming anything! I am stateting what guidelines LP must follow to make stop. I have not assumed guilt nor innocence I do not have your bias do to your unfortunate experience. The possibiltiy that there was a mistake exist however its also possible that OP did play a role in theft even if just am observer or lookout! In which case in many states that makes him guilty of theft as well.

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I know there are guidelines LP must follow in order to stop a suspect who is shoplifting, e.g. concealing the item. What about "accomplices?" What kind of guidelines are there to stop an accomplice?


I guess from the stories of elorei, a tip for shoplifters:

Do not talk to anyone in the store when you're shoplifting! You might get stopped and searched, even if you're the smoothest criminal, just because the person you spoke to happens to shoplift and is not as smooth and gets busted.

I'm j/k.

Guidelines vary depending on store suffice it to say if you can see the theft and/or have knowledge of theft in your presence you can be added to case. thats the simple answer but its more complicated than that. You would have to give me the entire incident in detail for me to know for sure. Regardless of what others tell you its "doubtful" LP is going to stop you without having good suspcion/evidence you were part of theft.