Should I Expect a Civil Demand

[ElvisC]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Puerto Rico

Around a week ago I was caught trying to shoplift about $40 worth of merchandise at WAL-MART. I'm 18 and this was my first offense. Seeing how I was completely shaken and scared when I was approached by the LP, I decided that I would fully cooperate to make the best out of this ridiculous mistake.

I was taken to the security room where the LP officer took my ID and wrote some general info down. They made me sign an admission of guilt form and took pics of the merchandise. I did not sign a trespassing form nor was I informed that I would be banned from the store and my picture was not taken. They didn't call the police. He thanked me for cooperating and said he wasn't in the mood to screw me and didn't think I looked like a kid who would be doing these kind of things.

He then had to leave the room so a different LP officer sat with me while I finished the paperwork. He was extremely nice and told me not to worry about it. He stated that my info will only be in their system and that it would not show up in records for college or the Army and that this info would be deleted from their system a year from the incident. He went on to tell me that even the managers at the store didn't have access to the info and basically convinced me that this would all be kept within that room. He explained that the only reason they kept the info was to keep track of how much money the store loses per day. Additionally he mentioned that they kept it to track down repeat offenders, and that their policy was one in which the individual's shoplifting amounts would add up over time and that they only took you to court after this amount exceeded $500.

At the end he asked if I wanted to pay for the merchandise. I agreed and he escorted me to the cashier. I payed for the merchandise, he kept the receipt as "proof that I paid for it", shook my hand and told me to have a good night (didn't even walk me out).

At the moment I believed him and thought it was all done but when I got home, my terrible feeling of guilt made me feel paranoid so I decided to do some research online...I've been especially worried that they have my address.After much reading I'm pretty much up-to-date with WAL-MART's shoplifting process, and according to what I've read, I should be expecting a Civil Demand in the mail.

For my own peace of mind, I decided to post here to find out. Should I be expecting a Civil Demand? I might be in denial but I'm skeptical as to whether I will be getting one. Unlike most cases, the LP officer DID allow me to pay for the merchandise and take it home. Additionally, the policy that he explained to me sounds different from those I've been reading online. Does anyone have information on Civil Demand laws in Puerto Rico (if any)? What about the policy which the LP explained to me? He was so casual and comforting about the situation that I don't know if he was playing mind games or if this is just a case where I "got off the hook" because they have different policies here. I have heard that PR doesn't have a Civil Demand law but am not certain about the credibility of this rumor.

I understand this is a US forum but PR is a commonwealth/territory of the US so I figured it would not hurt asking. I understand if you can't answer all my questions and would like to thank you for your time.

Note: Before anyone says I'm compromising my anonymity, ElvisC isn't remotely close to my real name.

[Mr. Knowitall]

It's possible that the incident was closed out with your being permitted to buy the item. Nobody here can guarantee, though, that you won't receive a civil demand. Only time will tell.