Wrongly Accused By Belk

Recently I was in shopping in a Belk Department Store in Alabama, where upion entering the store I had two Belk shopping bags with items in them, in my hands. First, I went to the Women's department and tried on a sweater. Next, I went to the price check machine to see how much I would be able to exchange the items that I had in my bag for, as I could not find the receipt. Next I went to the handbag department and looked at some purses. After deciding on two that I was going to exchange for the purse that I had in my bag and a jacket for, I went to the checkout counter and made my exchange. No problems.
I then shopped in the store for Christmas gift etc, as it was Christmas Eve, for another 45 minutes. I left the store, no problems.
There is another Belk directly across the street (strange, I know) and I decided to go there to see if they had any of the same Christmas gift that I had just purchased in better sizes. On the way over there I spoke with a friend who reminded me that someone was getting me a purse for Christmas. I then decided that when I went to the second Belk that I bwould go ahead and return them and wait until after Christmas to see what I get for Christmas.
I went to the intimates department to see if they had the pajamas that I had purchased in a larger size. They did not. I then went to the handbag department with intent to return the purses. They told me that I would have to return them back where I got them because they did not carry that brand. I knew that was ridiculous, I mean a Belk is a Belk right???
So when i made a purchase in the men's department I asked them if I could return something from another department, and she said yes, so she made the return and oddly enough put the whole thing back on my debit card. No problems.
Upon exiting the store I was apprehended and taken to the security office where I was searched and they took receipts of my transactions, and a loss prevention officer from the first store arrested me. My bench trial is on Fri and I am worried sick, At first I was unaware of what I was even being accused of because I did not take anything, and because the lp officer was wishy washy on what he was saying that I did, as if he was unsure himself, but when I received the police report it said that I walked up to a display in the first store and shoplifted a $350 purse and exchanged it for another one with intent to deprive them of the money.
I feel that there cannot be footage of me doing this because I did NOT. The officer had said that he was standing in the make-up department and saw me take it. From what I have gathered, it seems that they can find me guilty strictly with LP officer's statement saying that I took the merchandise, which if he believes that I did then he will say that I did.
my attorney is very busy, somewhat aloof and difficult to get answers out of but seems like a good attorney. Can anyone out there give me some advice????

Well did you actually exchange the purse or not? Forget camera footage -there would be a transaction slip/record for this exchange, and not just the LP's testimony.

It's not completely clear what the exact charge is from your post. Is it just the purse exchange? What I got was you also had a shopping bag(s) full of merchandise purchased previously from their store with no receipts and you were walking around in the store, shopping, scanning items, etc. Is this stuff involved as well?

Thank you so much for your response. What I meant was camera footage of me taking an item. Apparently the lp officer thinks that he saw me take something that I did not take in any way shape or form. YYes, I exchanged the item without a receipt, but it was an item that I entered the store with. Not "took from a display".
In regards to the other items, no they were not involved and were returned to me.

In answer to your other question, yes I exchanged purse. the charges are" defendant entered Belks Department Store and removed from display 1 purse and went to the register and returned it as her own and received a credit of $350 to purchase another purse without first $350 with the intent to deprive Belks Department Store of their merchandise."

So where did the purse you exchanged come from? If you purchased it and do not have the original receipt but paid for it with a debit or credit card, there will be a transaction number associated with that payment on your bank/cc statement. Your bank can help you with this.

Belks (and/or their bank) can reference the original sales receipt/transaction with that info. If they are uncooperative the info might have to be subpoenaed. All this info is on computer databases and isn't that hard to access if someone actually wants to.

Now, just because you may have purchased one of these purses before doesn't mean the one you exchanged was that one. It could be you actually did shoplift the returned purse as the LP officer said. But having a record of purchasing might well raise some reasonable doubt.

Given the short time until your court appearance you should get that aloof attorney of yours to answer whether or not he will be representing you.

Unfortunately it was a cash purchase, my 90-year old grandmother purchased it and don't want to cause her any stress and are unable to locate any proof of purchase.
My aloof attorney supposedly will be representing me on Fri. and he seems to act like he's got it all under control.

Was it an even-dated Tuesday during a full moon just following a cold snap but just before a severe-storm outbreak? If that's the case then it's no wonder that your "90 year old Grandma" could not locate the receipt!!!:wallbang:

Are you actually floatin' this "version"? It's awful 'hol(e)y'.

Nice try though.

A.)Any self-respecting grandaughter who has a Grandma that springs for $350 handbag, would most likely be referring to "G"randmother, not grandmother. Or better yet, Grandma.

B.)The original purchase would have been easily looked up.

C.)Most $350 "purses" are referred to as handbags.

...............hey, that's three steeeeerrikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, good luck then!

Why is it that people that commit retail theft like this *shop* before going to the returns counter. I know I would do my returns prompty before shopping. I find this story redicules. Is it just me or is it obvious to everyone else that if you have a couple bags full of goods and no receipt you go immediately to the returns counter before romping around a store and self scanning/price checking the tags.

I bought my wife a purs... handb... well, I think they called it a "shoulder bag" on Endless a few weeks ago. I can tell a "clutch" from a "hobo" (now that I know that some purses are called "hobos"), but beyond that they're all purses to me. But if you work in loss prevention, as souperdave does, you have to know the merchandise. (And you also tend to view the "I'm innocent" stories with skepticism, as virtually all of the stories LP's hear are false. The "I don't want to bother the person who could prove my innocence" line is, to put it mildly, overused by people who are guilty.)

It's time to bother your grandmother. You didn't mind bothering her enough to find out that she paid cash, or that she doesn't have a receipt, so how is this really any more bother. If you intend to present that story in court, your lawyer presumably already has her on the witness list. It wouldn't hurt to have the witness who reminded you that you were going to get a purse for Christmas, as well, plus the cell phone records to establish that the conversation actually occurred.

Your lawyer should have tried to obtain copies of any video in advance of your trial. I expect that, if there are videos, your lawyer has copies or can get access to see them.