Civil Demands and Job Applications or Interviews

california
i went to urban outfitters with a friend, and i stole a scarf that cost 28 dollars. when we walked out, the sensor rang, they checked my backback and found the scarf.
I was so scared, they took me into a room and the manager he said he wasnt going to call the cops but he was going to gime the civil demand customer notice and i can never go back to urban outfitters.
I talked to a lawyer on the phone and she said that the court or urban outfitters i cant remember, was going to review the case and then determine wheter or not they are going to go through with this. The most they can do according to the lawyer is send me a letter with the amount I owe to the store, which could be between 100-500 dollars. But they can also not go through with the case. I hope they dont but they probably will.

I am 19 and living with my parents, i am worried about the letter. what will it say on the outside?, i have enough money to pay the fine but i dont want my parents to find out.
and after i pay will i have to go to court?
thank you for your help

by the way
it was a my first offense

I doubt that your parents will be able to figure out what you have received unless they open it, but there's no standard. Only the store can tell you what the envelope will look like. Paying the civil demand won't affect any criminal charges.

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Quoting aaron

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I doubt that your parents will be able to figure out what you have received unless they open it, but there's no standard. Only the store can tell you what the envelope will look like. Paying the civil demand won't affect any criminal charges.

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thank you for your reply:)
so i can be charged after i pay the civil demand?

Yes Civil Demand and criminal charges have nothing to do with each other.

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Quoting panther10758

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Yes Civil Demand and criminal charges have nothing to do with each other.

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even though the police was not involved?
this really has me worried.

Without Police involvment its very unlikely charges will be filed. However they could if they chose to but with you paying Civil Demand they have no reason to file those charges. Now if you are caught trespassing (violating ban) they could then file the charges providing they preserved the evidence. All in all your pretty safe there is no reason to file charges just pay the Civil Demand and its over

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Quoting panther10758

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Without Police involvment its very unlikely charges will be filed. However they could if they chose to but with you paying Civil Demand they have no reason to file those charges. Now if you are caught trespassing (violating ban) they could then file the charges providing they preserved the evidence. All in all your pretty safe there is no reason to file charges just pay the Civil Demand and its over

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thank you for all your input
I really apreciate it:)

I have one more quick question, after this is over, am I going to have a record?, what should I do to clear my record if I do have one?

Since you do not have a court date and charges wer enot filed no you will not have a record. However many retailers (I dont know which ones) have a databased they put shoplifters in that can be seen by other retailers. If you were put in said database and applied for a retail job the new employer could see this and not hire you. But as fars as a criminal record no any background check would come up with nothing

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Quoting panther10758

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Since you do not have a court date and charges wer enot filed no you will not have a record. However many retailers (I dont know which ones) have a databased they put shoplifters in that can be seen by other retailers. If you were put in said database and applied for a retail job the new employer could see this and not hire you. But as fars as a criminal record no any background check would come up with nothing

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thank you!
you just made me feel alot better about this situation