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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    3

    Exclamation Arrested For Shoplifting, Camera In Fitting Room

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Indiana

    I was shopping in Elder-Beerman in Sept of 2007. I brought my hand bag in with me and in it was a wallet I had purchased for my sister which was empty and the same one that I had purchased for myself a couple months prior. I was buying her a purse to match the wallet (it has bright colors and lots of designs) I pulled my wallet out of my purse which has been used for the couple months and matched it to the purse. I continued to shop, bought a picture frame which did not have a price tag on it, a $150 bed in a bag and tried on some shirts. When I was in the fitting room my cell phone rang I bend down away from the meor and pulled my cell phone from my purse hit the ignore button and placed it back inside. I payed for all my items and walked out of the store. At that time I was confronted my the security guard and the store manager. They took me to a small room and emtied my purse. They saw both wallets and said the man said that he had me on tape in the fitting room putting it in my purse. LOL WOW! The store manager came in when she over heard what he had said to me and got mad at him and he back peddled. Needless to say I was arrested. Probobly because I was mad that they would even suspect someone that just spent $300 in their store not to mention .. I asked them to if I could pull up my bank statements and show them when I purchased it. They could have used the POS number off of my statement to pull the recept and they refused to do so. I went to jail... spend 6 hours ... was unable to pick my children up from school and 2 months later lost my job when my manager found out it happened on my lunch hour. Since then court has been continud 3 times. once because they didnt have the evedence yet (tape) second becasue the Store Manager was on Maternity leave and the 3rd time, I have no idea. I am worried that if they dont move this along I am going to loose my chance to file a law suit against them. What are my rights? What do we do now? I know everything there is to know about family law but I am lost when it comes to criminal law. I have never been in trouble in my life! help me please

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    Living Happily Ever After with my hubby Dan, with Law Researcher Missy on the side
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    75

    Default Re: Arrested For Shoplifting (camera In Fitting Room)

    If your wallet, which has been "used for a couple of months", is "identical" to the one you bought for your sister -- why would you have needed to bring it along to match it up to a purse? If it is "identical" you could have used your own wallet for purposes of matching it up to a purse.

    Also you have nothing to worry about if you indeed purchased both wallets with your debit or credit card - you just bring your bank statement to court.

    Something else that stands out - if the police had probable cause to detain you, and the prosecutor deemed there was sufficient evidence to press charges, I would suspect that videotape is a lot more damning than you might think.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    3

    Default Re: Arrested For Shoplifting, Camera In Fitting Room

    When I purchased the two of them I also purchased my purse. I kept my sisters in my purse with the intent of sending it once I purchased her matching purse. Honestly I had forgoten it was in there until they searched me. I felt kinda dumb. I am the person that always takes things I bring in to the stor up to the cashier when I first walk in. Ooops

    As far as the bank statements go here is my purchase record form Elder-Beerman directly from my bank statements


    June 11th written on June 5th $198.56 check number 1222
    Sept 21st, 2007: $25.43 Debit Card
    Sept 27th , 2007: $165.86 Debit Card

    The original purchase was on June 11th so I guess it was a little more than a couple months, but I purcashed the two billfolds and my purse together.

    "Something else that stands out - if the police had probable cause to detain you, and the prosecutor deemed there was sufficient evidence to press charges, I would suspect that videotape is a lot more damning than you might think."

    This didnt make since to me either! I can tell you the my ex husbands grandfather was prosecuting attorney for over 30 years. And I have already been told by that family that I better watch every step I make if I stay in this county. He has made my life hell over the last three years. Could they alter the tape in any way?

    The custody of a child has been involved, so they have been willing to do whatever it takes to hurt me.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
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    NW of KSTL
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    2,554

    Default Re: Arrested For Shoplifting, Camera In Fitting Room

    Quote Quoting bg31
    View Post
    My question involves criminal law for the state of: Indiana

    I was shopping in Elder-Beerman in Sept of 2007. I brought my hand bag in with me and in it was a wallet I had purchased for my sister which was empty and the same one that I had purchased for myself a couple months prior. I was buying her a purse to match the wallet (it has bright colors and lots of designs) I pulled my wallet out of my purse which has been used for the couple months and matched it to the purse......
    You bring a wallet that you'd bought for your sister, and yet you do the comparison with your own wallet?

    Soft's take on the matter is pretty spot on! A) you claim that the other wallet was for comparison, yet, B) you do the comparison with your own wallet, and, C) then the cops and prosecutor have enough probable cause to pursue prosecution. That's three "strikes"! Next batter please......

    Aside from your account of the 'incident', the only other part that's silly is the camera in the fitting room (possible)misrepresentation.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    3

    Default Re: Arrested For Shoplifting, Camera In Fitting Room

    you guys obviously do not understand a woman. or the fact that I have already told u that I had forgot the empty one was in my purse. they had me on camera putting my used wallet back in my purse. as far as the fitting room goes. I did not misunderstand anything. I know what the guy said.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    138

    Default Re: Arrested For Shoplifting, Camera In Fitting Room

    there was mo camera in the fitting room. (that's too much of a legal liability for the store.) they just said that to scare you into a confession.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    Living Happily Ever After with my hubby Dan, with Law Researcher Missy on the side
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    75

    Default Re: Arrested For Shoplifting, Camera In Fitting Room

    Quote Quoting bg31
    View Post
    you guys obviously do not understand a woman. or the fact that I have already told u that I had forgot the empty one was in my purse. they had me on camera putting my used wallet back in my purse. as far as the fitting room goes. I did not misunderstand anything. I know what the guy said.
    It sounds more like they had you on camera walking into the fitting room with stuff that you did not walk back out with- to be exact, one wallet. The "you guys do not understand a woman" defense doesn't fly with me particularly because I am, in fact, a woman, therefore I know firsthand the serious unlikelihood of carrying around a wallet taking up valuable space in my purse for "months". I would also not "forget" something that large.

    It's better for you to hash out the holes in your story here though rather than in court

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    28,906

    Default Re: Arrested For Shoplifting, Camera In Fitting Room

    Quote Quoting bg31
    View Post
    The original purchase was on June 11th so I guess it was a little more than a couple months, but I purcashed the two billfolds and my purse together.
    You need the receipt from that transaction. If you didn't keep it, you can talk to your attorney about how you might subpoena it from the store.
    Quote Quoting bg31
    I can tell you the my ex husbands grandfather was prosecuting attorney for over 30 years. And I have already been told by that family that I better watch every step I make if I stay in this county. He has made my life hell over the last three years. Could they alter the tape in any way?
    There's no county-wide conspiracy involving stores, the police and the prosecutor's office to frame you for stealing a wallet, and nobody's going to spend tens of thousands of dollars trying to alter a videotape.
    Quote Quoting Mouser
    View Post
    there was mo camera in the fitting room. (that's too much of a legal liability for the store.) they just said that to scare you into a confession.
    That's possible. Or the videotape may have been made in the public areas of the fitting room, not in the changing stalls themselves.

  9. #9
    panther10758 Guest

    Default Re: Arrested For Shoplifting, Camera In Fitting Room

    If you were seen or videotaped selecting a wallet its possible the store Loss prevention skipped part of their policy for shoplifting arrests. However you race in the hole is that reciept you really need it.

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