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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
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    1

    Default Should You Pay a Civil Demand if You Weren't the One Who Was Shoplifting

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Pennsylvania

    My daughter was at the mall and ran into a girl she had graduated with. They got some food, and were catching up. It was a year since they saw each other. They were both in the same parking lot, so were leaving together. The other girl said she needed to go into Spencer's to see if they had something. She asked my daughter to go in with her. My daughter declined....she doesn't shop there ever. The girl didn't want to walk to her car alone, as she had several bags, and it was after dark. My daughter agreed. She was looking at jewelry at the front by the registers. The other girl went further into the store. She came to my daughter and said she didn't find anything, so the were leaving the store. An employee stopped them and said he saw the other girl steal something. The girl handed over a $5.00 lanyard. The employee demanded both girls' ID. My daughter said she didn't do anything. The employee said he would call the cops and have the friend arrested. He friend asked her to please give ID. She did. Now she received a Civil Demand Letter for $429.99. She is not guilty of a crime, and did not know a crime was going to be committed. Is she in any way civilly liable?
    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    16,474

    Default Re: Daughter's Classmate Shoplifted

    Quote Quoting pricey59
    View Post
    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Pennsylvania

    My daughter was at the mall and ran into a girl she had graduated with. They got some food, and were catching up. It was a year since they saw each other. They were both in the same parking lot, so were leaving together. The other girl said she needed to go into Spencer's to see if they had something. She asked my daughter to go in with her. My daughter declined....she doesn't shop there ever. The girl didn't want to walk to her car alone, as she had several bags, and it was after dark. My daughter agreed. She was looking at jewelry at the front by the registers. The other girl went further into the store. She came to my daughter and said she didn't find anything, so the were leaving the store. An employee stopped them and said he saw the other girl steal something. The girl handed over a $5.00 lanyard. The employee demanded both girls' ID. My daughter said she didn't do anything. The employee said he would call the cops and have the friend arrested. He friend asked her to please give ID. She did. Now she received a Civil Demand Letter for $429.99. She is not guilty of a crime, and did not know a crime was going to be committed. Is she in any way civilly liable?
    Thanks in advance.
    There are many people (including several lawyers I have spoken to on this topic who say that you should never pay a civil demand if you did nothing wrong. Others feel that you should pay it no matter what.

    Its a civil matter, they can sue your daughter if she doesn't pay. Whether or not they will do so is unknown. I have not heard of anyone that ever did get sued for refusing to pay a civil demand, but then I also haven't known more than a handful in that situation in the first place.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    1,421

    Default Re: Daughter's Classmate Shoplifted

    You weren't there. How do you know your daughter is telling the truth?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    1,131

    Default Re: Daughter's Classmate Shoplifted

    Quote Quoting Ohiogal
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    You weren't there. How do you know your daughter is telling the truth?
    Precisely!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    1,421

    Default Re: Daughter's Classmate Shoplifted

    Quote Quoting llworking
    View Post
    There are many people (including several lawyers I have spoken to on this topic who say that you should never pay a civil demand if you did nothing wrong. Others feel that you should pay it no matter what.

    Its a civil matter, they can sue your daughter if she doesn't pay. Whether or not they will do so is unknown. I have not heard of anyone that ever did get sued for refusing to pay a civil demand, but then I also haven't known more than a handful in that situation in the first place.
    I have heard. It happens.

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