I Was With Someone Who Shoplifted Today, Will Anything Happen To Me?
My question involves criminal law for the state of: Florida
Today started out fine, I had a lunch scheduled with an acquaintance. We both belong to a local organization and met to discuss business. She knows I have a handbag habit and asked if I would go with her to after lunch to view a particular bag she was looking at.
Fine, we got into her car and drove to a store in another town. While shopping, I chatted with the sales associate and the owner, we all seemed to get along and found out that we had simular interests, even shopping at the same boutiques. I didn't see anything that I liked, however, the woman that I came with had purchased a few items. They had a problem with her credit card and detained us while they were trying to correct the problem.
When we walked out of the store, there were 3 police officers waiting for us. I thought that they knew the woman that I was with, so I stepped aside. She told me to go on ahead, that she would catch up with me at the next store. This is when the police officer told me to stop.
At this point I had no idea what was going on and asked him why? He said that they may need to talk with me. I became upset and told him that we had done nothing and gave him my handbag to check.
They took the woman into the store and held me outside for nearly 1 hour. I don't know exactly what this woman took or did, I just wanted to go home. One of the police officers kept insinuating that I had something to do with it and asked me if I had been the one who drove. I told him no and he said she told him that I had.
She was arrested, I called a cab, then they told me that she wanted me to drive her car home. I didn't want to, but did.
Two of the officers took my information and called it in, but was allowed to leave.
Will my name be associated to this woman and her troubles?
Can they contact me later with charges?
She already lied to them about who the car belonged to and who drove, could she try to bring me into her mess?
Re: I Was With Someone Who Shoplifted Today, Will Anything Happen To Me?
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Will my name be associated to this woman and her troubles?
If she chooses to drag you into it, it could be.
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Can they contact me later with charges?
Doubtful, since you didn't do anything.
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She already lied to them about who the car belonged to and who drove, could she try to bring me into her mess?
She could try, but that doesn't mean she'd be successful.
Try not to worry too much about it.
Re: I Was With Someone Who Shoplifted Today, Will Anything Happen To Me?
They may call you to be a witness, particularly if the card was a stolen card.
They may charge you as an accessory, but this is not likely.
...let's hope that her car was really her car or was a relative's car or friend's car who had legally loaned it to her.
...because of liability issues this is getting to be pretty rare.
As a close friend of mine, and a local attorney and judge says; "Anything is possible..."