How long after shoplifting can i be prosecuted

I have had several cases in which my clients were arrested and charged with a Retail Theft days and weeks after the incident after they were identified on a security camera. I recently had a client that was arrested for a Retail Theft after a detective found a security video of the license plate number on my clients car as he was leaving the parking lot of the store immediately after the Retail Theft had occurred. The detective was able to locate my client after they checked the license plate number with the Secretary of State.

If you are contacted by the police and they want to talk to you about this incident, this means that they may be on to you and you need to be careful about what you do from this point on.

If a police officer calls you and starts asking you questions about this incident, my advice to you is to tell the police officer that you will not answer any of his questions unless the police get you a lawyer. If the police officer asks you to go to the police station so that he can talk to you about this incident, you should go to the police station. But if the police officer starts asking you questions, you should tell the police officer that you will not answer any questions unless they get you a lawyer.

If you were able to leave the store without being caught, you may not be as safe as you think. If the store took footage of you shoplifting and you are identified in the footage, you can be charged with theft any time within the statute of limitations. The store may decide that the cost of pursuing charges against you is less than the cost of losing the merchandise. This is not likely if the merchandise stolen was worth a lot of money. You should avoid going back to the store after shoplifting without getting caught.

They could also put up your photo if they got footage of you on camera. Stores often share information about shoplifters with other businesses. The store where you shoplifted might share your photo with other retailers in the area. Stores often prosecute shoplifting without having the police contact you.

It can take several weeks or months for the retailer to file charges against you. The store will present their evidence to the local police department when they are ready to file charges. The police will then refer the case to a prosecutor, who will work with the court to issue you a citation, complaint, or summons.

If it was a felony theft, you could receive an arrest warrant. If you receive a citation, complaint, or summons for shoplifting, this is when to hire a criminal defense attorney.

The next steps you take will be critical. Failure to appear in court on time could result in a bench warrant. This could lead to your arrest and seriously complicate your case. It is fairly common in these types of cases for law enforcement officials to offer plea deals in an attempt to get someone to admit guilt. The store where you shoplifted might do the same.

In some cases, a store will prosecute shoplifters without going through the police. Sometimes it will take weeks or months for the store owner to file charges against you.

Next, the store will present evidence to the local police department. They will do this when they are ready to file charges. The police will refer the case to a prosecutor.

That prosecutor will work with the court to issue you a citation, summons, or complaint. If it was a felony theft, you might receive an arrest warrant. In any case, you should speak with a criminal defense attorney at Greenwald Law Firm immediately.

All of the next steps you take after shoplifting will be important. If you fail to appear in court on time, you might receive a bench warrant. This would lead to your arrest and complicate your case. Law enforcement officials will often offer plea deals in an attempt to get someone to admit guilt. But never simply accept the first offer you get. Always speak with an experienced defense attorney first. Each criminal offense has a corresponding statute of limitations.

A statute of limitations is the amount of time a prosecutor has to file charges against someone they think has committed a crime. Usually the clock starts soon as the crime is committed or discovered. The statute of limitations for theft crimes in Louisiana are no different. However, there are some crimes in which the crime took a lot of time to discover.

Hypothetically, you enter a store, steal a few items, and you exit the store without being caught. Can you still be arrested for shoplifting afterward?

The quick answer is, yes! In many cases, a place of business will wait until the shoplifter has left the front door s before approaching them. This proves to employees that the shoplifter had the intent to steal and went through with the action of stealing. If someone were to pick up an item and conceal it, but then pay for it prior to exiting the store, this would not be stealing.

Instead, this would be a questionable shopping practice that is frowned upon by business owners. Another situation would be when someone conceals a product with the intent to steal, but loses confidence, and puts the item back before exiting the store.