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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    1

    Unhappy What Does a Store Do With Records of Suspected Shoplifters

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Maryland

    We were stopped at the door of walmart and two staffs asked us to follow him. They told us we have unpaid stuffs with us. We both were taken to a closed room and they checked us. We have the bill and showed them, but they said you have more stuffs than this. They kept asking continuously to show or they will call police to search us. Since I had done nothing, I took off jacket, and emptied all pockets and told them to check wherever they want. But my friend took out a $6.00 item (medicine for cold) from his pocket. Then the walmart staff asked IDs of both of us. I did not want to provide my ID because I did nothing wrong. But they told us that we were in team, and they threatened us to call Police and arrest. We did not want to make the case worse letting them call police. So, we turned in our IDs, and they took our pictures too. They also took our signatures on separate papers that state we are over 18 years.

    What could be our worst case scenario, do we need to face court or have a lawyer if this gets blown up? I did not do anything wrong, I was just walking together with someone, whom they caught. Do I be responsible of any crime someone else does who happens to be with me while exiting the store?

    The walmart staff said - they will do nothing with our pictures except keeping a record for themselves and they may send us a bill to pay the amount of medicine, as it was already open. Later, when I asked my friend "why you did that?" - The answer was - "I was feeling sick, and the box was already open, so I thought it would be OK to keep it in pocket."

    I am desperately looking for some suggestions. Feeling really bad at whatever happened to us.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Friend Was Caught Shoplifting but I Was Photographed Despite Finding Nothing from

    Why do you feel bad? There is an old saying; if you sleep with dogs you wake with fleas. Maybe you need to reconsider who you have accepted as a friend.

    If the police were not called the chances of being prosecuted are near zero. They may send a demand for what is called a civil forfeiture. I don't know what your state allows but in many it can run anywhere from a couple times the cost of the merchandise to several hundred dollars.

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