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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
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    Default Juvenile Court for Shoplifting at a Gift Shop

    My question involves juvenile law in the State of: Massachusetts

    About a month ago I was caught shop lifting at the local Spencers gifts at the mall, the mall cops came I was not arrested or cited or anything they just told me to expect a ticket in the mail. about 2 weeks later I got a ticket for 350$ and my mom called and told them I didn't have the money as of now and they told us they could give us a 30 day extension (that way it would be due at the end of April) but a few days ago I got another ticket in the mail for 500$ and I do not have that kind of money at all and neither does my mom since shes been out of a job on workers comp for almost 5 years. what should I do? should I wait and go to court? should I just pay them when I can? are they just going to keep raising the price?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
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    24,521

    Default Re: Shoplifting at Spencers

    How old are you, Erika?

  3. #3
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    Mar 2014
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    3

    Default Re: Shoplifting at Spencers

    Quote Quoting cbg
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    How old are you, Erika?
    I'm 17, 18 in august

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
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    Default Re: Shoplifting at Spencers

    You can face both civil and criminal fines. I'm assuming that what you're looking at is the civil demand. You haven't told us how much you stole, but the civil demand can't exceed $500 over that amount. So if you stole $60 worth of goods, the maximum civil demand is going to be $560.

    But you can also be criminally charged. The fact that they did not do so at the time does not mean they can't do it yet. That would be another $250 (assuming that what you stole is valued at less than $100 - if it's more than that, I'll be kind and not tell you right now what you'd be facing).

    Evidently your mom (and really, you're almost 18, you should have done that yourself) did not confirm that the extension would be of the same amount. When they gave you extra time to pay, they also gave you extra money to pay.

    If it were me, I'd do anything I had to do to pay that off NOW. Get a McJob. Babysit. Deliver papers. Tutor other kids. Rake lawns. Dig gardens. Shovel snow. But earn money. Pay the $500 before the store decides you're blowing them off and decides to send the cops after you.

    It's your gamble. Do you want to ignore them and run the risk that the store will neither sue you (they can) for the $500 nor criminally charge you? Or do you want to get the whole thing over and done with before you end up with a record, albeit a juvenile one?

    Pretty expensive game, shoplifting, huh?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Shoplifting at Spencers

    Quote Quoting cbg
    View Post
    You can face both civil and criminal fines. I'm assuming that what you're looking at is the civil demand. You haven't told us how much you stole, but the civil demand can't exceed $500 over that amount. So if you stole $60 worth of goods, the maximum civil demand is going to be $560.

    But you can also be criminally charged. The fact that they did not do so at the time does not mean they can't do it yet. That would be another $250 (assuming that what you stole is valued at less than $100 - if it's more than that, I'll be kind and not tell you right now what you'd be facing).

    Evidently your mom (and really, you're almost 18, you should have done that yourself) did not confirm that the extension would be of the same amount. When they gave you extra time to pay, they also gave you extra money to pay.

    If it were me, I'd do anything I had to do to pay that off NOW. Get a McJob. Babysit. Deliver papers. Tutor other kids. Rake lawns. Dig gardens. Shovel snow. But earn money. Pay the $500 before the store decides you're blowing them off and decides to send the cops after you.

    It's your gamble. Do you want to ignore them and run the risk that the store will neither sue you (they can) for the $500 nor criminally charge you? Or do you want to get the whole thing over and done with before you end up with a record, albeit a juvenile one?

    Pretty expensive game, shoplifting, huh?
    The item I stole was 3.99$ (yes, stupid I know) and I am a full time highschool student and I already have a part time job and the only time I can see myself being able to pay this off is over the summer after I graduate and can pick up more hours at work, do you think that if I call them and tell them this they will either give me an extension or make some sort of payment plan? thank you so much for all of your help (:

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    24,521

    Default Re: Shoplifting at Spencers

    I think you are very lucky to have been given the extension you have and it is not likely you'll be given another one. They *might* be willing to allow a payment plan. If they do, DO NOT MISS A SINGLE PAYMENT no matter what happens.

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