My question involves criminal law for the state of: Georgia.
March of 2010, I was stopped for shoplifting.
I was planning on puchasing with two different different credit cards, so I had a pack of pull-ups in a walmart bag so that I didn't pay for them with the other transaction. BIG MISTAKE!!
Not to mention, I have ADD and a man jumped in front of me in line and totally through off my line of thinking...
As I was leaving, a guy (LP) came to me and stopped me asking if I had paid for everything in my cart and I said yes and tried to walk away and he continued saying are you sure you paid for those pull-ups and I said "Shit" grabbed the item and tried to go back to the register to pay for it and he said no! and I looked at the Lp guy and said "excuse me". At this time, the manager was walking over as well. The LP guy asked to see my receipts, which I handed him.
And then the lp guy said I need you to come back here with us, and I looked at these two men and said umm.. I'm not going into a room by myself with you two gentlemen!
The guy rolled his eyes at me and told me to come into the room. Again I was hesitate, but he had my buggy with my purse in it and pushed it in the room. So I followed.
.... making it quick & to the point..
Cops come, the LP guy values up the stuff i "stole" such BULLSHIT, and then the LP stated that walmart doesn't prosecute for the value under $25 and told me I was free to go.
I signed NOTHING!
All he did was copy my driver's license (which i could have used a fake ID)
I had NO criminal charges brought against me or ANYTHING. Was never taken to the police station & finger printed or anything.
Then this month I get a civil demand letter in the mail stating that I need to pay a fine for shoplifting. Even though I had no criminal charges? offered to pay for item and was actually set free!!
How in the world did they know that I didn't have my ID stolen and someone used it in the situation!
They don't have my signature to match signatures or anything!
I wasn't even banned from the store! Matter of fact, i am in that Walmart ALL the time!
I go in there 3-4 times a week that most the associates know me! Even one of the managers (not the one in the story) will stop and talking to me all the time! (although I think he is trying to hit on me..)
In the letter it says that my case hasn't been evaluated, so I am guessing that they just send these letter automatically!
But.. I know that the standard protocol is that they take a picture of you when you are caught and that they make you sign a letter!
Is this something I can go to the store and discuss and see if the general manager can take care of... Any suggestions?

