A "friend" put 3 pairs of sunglasses in my daughter's purse. When my daughter discovered this she gave the glasses back to the "friend" and told him no. He then asked another girl to put the glasses in her shopping bag. She said okay but she wouldn't hold the bag and gave it to him. He carried the bag out of the store and security brought them back into the store. Everything was on tape and they know that my daughter said no and didn't steal, however, they consider her an accessory. No charges were filed, however, the merchant is imposing a civil fine of $475.00. They retail value of the merchandise if $20.00. They cite California Penal Code 490.5 stating that first time minor offenders can be charged between $50 and $500.

Isn't there another rule somewhere about the fine being proportionate to the value of the merchandise?