Caught Shoplifting at Walmart

[Renegade42]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Tennessee

so about a month ago i was caught shoplifting at Walmart, a few weeks before i was caught i had tried to steal a $168 coffee pot so i could return it to another walmart store and get money for it, i went out to the out door garden center and un-packaged it, i was planning to get the box over the fence then sneak the coffee pot out and put it back in the box and return it to a different walmart store, i was unable to get the box over the fence though so i left the coffee pot out there and put the empty box back on the shelf,

i tried this again with the coffee pot a different day, and got closer to getting the box over the fence but still failed, so again i left the coffee pot in the out door garden center and put the box back on the shelf

well, about a month ago i was thinking about getting a $80 gaming keyboard at walmart, but i wanted to see how it worked first, so i opened the box and took out the manual, i wasn't gonna steal the manual but i wanted to take it out to my car and read it, but when i got to the door i was stopped by walmart security, they took me to the security office, they didn't believe that i wasn't trying to steal the manual and then they said: "and what about the coffee pots?" and i was like "i didn't steal any coffee pots" and they were like: 'no you didn't steal them, you left them out in the weather to get ruined!"

they ended up making me sign a paper saying that i was banned from all walmart stores, and they called the police, the officer wrote me a misdemeanor citation for theft under $500, i've already hired a defense attorney and my court date is in a couple of weeks, what do y'all think is gonna happen there?

and what about the ban? i know that going back to the walmart where this happened is of course out of the question, but what about other walmarts in the same area? would there be a high risk of getting caught if i was shopping at a different walmart store? i've heard that these stores have LP people in plain clothes walking the floors watching for shoplifters, do these people always work at the same walmart or do they go around to different walmarts in a certain area? would there be a good chance of one of them spotting me? or could i be spotted on the cameras in a different walmart since walmart since the LP people took my pic?

[PandorasBox]

You can expect court costs and fines. The stores lawyers will also be sending a Civil Demand letter, which you need to pay. You're gonna find that paying $168 for the coffee pot would have been a lot cheaper.

As for going to other WalMarts....seriously, don't. Not even one in say, Los Angeles. If you are caught stepping foot into ANY Walmart store, you can be arrested and charged with Criminal Trespass. I'd avoid even the parking lot. Between security, who do work other locations, and facial recognition software in surveillance systems.....

[flyingron]

Your lawyer will hopefully get you judicial diversion which means if you keep your nose clean for a year, you won't end up with a criminal record. If you get this, don't SCREW IT UP. Not only are you messing with your future, judges tend to look poorly at people they've given second chances to that slap them in the face with their misbehavior.

You can expect a letter from Walmart's "lawyers" demanding civil restitution independent of your criminal charges. You can decide (with counsel of your lawyer) as to the implications of paying or not paying that.

The ban makes it a criminal offense to even STEP INTO A WALMART. Any Walmart. Stay out of WALMARTS.
And for God's sake, give up your pathetic life of crime. We can't advise you as to what your chances of getting caught again are. This is the LEGAL ADVICE FORUM not the HOW DO I SHOPLIFT AND GET AWAY WITH IT FORUM.

[PandorasBox]

You can bet that WalMart has your pic and name, etc., in it's database.

Also....upon conviction, there is a thing called the National Retail Theft Database. No one knows which stores subscribe, but I would place a bet on WalMart. This would mean if you applied for a job at say, FYE, they would search this database and know you have been convicted of shoplifting.

Note this also....by the # of attempts at the coffee pot and the high value...the prosecutor and judge will likely not believe this is your first time shoplifting...just the first time being busted.

[cbg]

I've got news for you. You do not open boxes, take out the manual, go out to your car and read it. Not unless you want to be charged with theft. What world do you live in that this is acceptable behavior? Ever?

[Renegade42]

Your lawyer will hopefully get you judicial diversion which means if you keep your nose clean for a year, you won't end up with a criminal record. If you get this, don't SCREW IT UP. Not only are you messing with your future, judges tend to look poorly at people they've given second chances to that slap them in the face with their misbehavior.

You can expect a letter from Walmart's "lawyers" demanding civil restitution independent of your criminal charges. You can decide (with counsel of your lawyer) as to the implications of paying or not paying that.

The ban makes it a criminal offense to even STEP INTO A WALMART. Any Walmart. Stay out of WALMARTS.
And for God's sake, give up your pathetic life of crime. We can't advise you as to what your chances of getting caught again are. This is the LEGAL ADVICE FORUM not the HOW DO I SHOPLIFT AND GET AWAY WITH IT FORUM.

i was not asking what my chances of getting caught shoplifting again were, i was asking what my chances were of getting caught going in another walmart store to actually shop

[Antigone]

i was not asking what my chances of getting caught shoplifting again were, i was asking what my chances were of getting caught going in another walmart store to actually shop

If I were a betting woman, I'd lay a heavy bet on you getting caught.


eta: Why does it amaze me that this poster shows no remorse...

[Renegade42]

You can expect court costs and fines. The stores lawyers will also be sending a Civil Demand letter, which you need to pay. You're gonna find that paying $168 for the coffee pot would have been a lot cheaper.

As for going to other WalMarts....seriously, don't. Not even one in say, Los Angeles. If you are caught stepping foot into ANY Walmart store, you can be arrested and charged with Criminal Trespass. I'd avoid even the parking lot. Between security, who do work other locations, and facial recognition software in surveillance systems.....

have you ever heard of a case where someone got busted by the facial recognition software?

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You can bet that WalMart has your pic and name, etc., in it's database.

Also....upon conviction, there is a thing called the National Retail Theft Database. No one knows which stores subscribe, but I would place a bet on WalMart. This would mean if you applied for a job at say, FYE, they would search this database and know you have been convicted of shoplifting.

Note this also....by the # of attempts at the coffee pot and the high value...the prosecutor and judge will likely not believe this is your first time shoplifting...just the first time being busted.

is it possible that walmart might look though old surveillance footage to see what i've done there in the past?

[Mr. Knowitall]

You have told us that you have been banned from all Walmarts. Walmart reportedly uses face recognition software as part of its loss prevention efforts, and it's safe to assume that your face is in their system. If you are found in a Walmart, you can be charged with trespassing. If you want to take that risk, it's your life.

is it possible that walmart might look though old surveillance footage to see what i've done there in the past?

You've already told us that they detected and documented your attempted theft of coffee makers. How many more incidents are you afraid they'll discover?

[Renegade42]

is there any possible way to ever get the ban lifted?

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You've already told us that they detected and documented your attempted theft of coffee makers. How many more incidents are you afraid they'll discover?

just 3 or 4 over the past year or so