
Quoting
what can i do?
Here's more about what happened when I was actually arrested- I conceled a pair of flip flops ($40) and earings ($20). As soon as I left the store, a LP stopped me and asked me to follow him to the back of the store. He was very polite and professional. When I got to his office, there was another man and a girl there. Both of them were very rude and unprofessional. The other man was yelling at me even though I was being completely cooperative. The lady was laughing and making jokes, which really bothered me since I was in trouble, and didn't find the situation funny. They ended up calling the police and I was arrested and had to sit in a cell for six hours while waiting for the bondsman.
I went to court a few days later and was told to come back. When I did, my charges were reduced to a civil infraction with a $50 fine. That same day I came home and found the civil demand from JP Penny's in the mail. I have 30 days to pay $250. Hopefully I will be able to come up with the money to pay this in time. This has been a learning experience, but I think that more warning from the stores could help prevent this from happening to other people. I had no idea that something like shoplifting could lead to so many legal problems. I almost feel ambushed with this situation. If I had known how serious the consequences were, I would have NEVER attempted to shoplift. Maybe the stores should spend a little more money on awareness rather than simply having people arrested (and giving them criminal records in some cases). I had always thought that you could get no more than maybe a fine or have to leave the store. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that it could possibly ruin my future carreer opportunities and be so expensive.