How long after shoplifting can you be caught

The biggest mistake that some people make is that they believe that they can talk themselves out of a situation. Sometimes, without the benefit of legal counsel, they talk themselves into deeper trouble. In some cases, shoplifting is considered by the courts to be a felony. In terms of grading, the degree of shoplifting charges is highly variable. The primary determinant of the degree of a shoplifting offense is the dollar value of the merchandise at issue.

You can relax knowing the full resources of our firm will be deployed in your defense. Retail theft and shoplifting offenses in New Jersey are serious charges with far-reaching implications. We know how intimidating these charges can be, and we want to stand at your side to defend you.

Get started now by calling our theft crimes attorneys or by completing the form on this page for a free case review. Categories: Theft and Property Crimes. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Someone may also receive this charge if they already have two prior offenses for a theft crime within the past 5 years.

This conviction may carry a sentence of 18 months to up to 3 years. Many people are surprised to learn that they can receive shoplifting charges after leaving store.

They assume that once they successfully make it out of the store, they are safe from prosecution. This is not the case. It may not be until weeks, maybe even months later that the retailer presses charges against you.

However, there is a statute of limitations in place for how long retailers have to file charges. For a misdemeanor shoplifting charge, the Arizona statute of limitations grants 1 year to press charges. For felony theft crimes, the retailer has 7 years from the date of the incident to file against you. Receiving shoplifting charges after leaving store is not uncommon. As we mentioned before, it can take several weeks or even months before you get charged.

It simply depends on when the retailer is ready to file charges and present their evidence to the police. This may seem like a violation of civil rights , but it is in fact legal for them to do.

Once the police become informed, they will refer the case to a prosecutor. You will then receive a Notice to Appear before the court. It is possible you may receive an arrest warrant if the theft was a felony, but this rarely happens if the warrant is based solely on probable cause.

If you receive a Notice to Appear, the next few moves you make are critical. Helpful Legal Links. Terms of Use Privacy Developer. Kris Jahnke 10 February Here, we answer some common questions about the legal consequences of shoplifting. What is the Legal Definition of Shoplifting?

However, this is not always the case. According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention , 1 out of every 11 Americans will shoplift. How do stores combat this? Many retailers, especially large department and grocery stores, use video surveillance. Cameras in and outside of the store can detect suspicious activity and capture evidence of the individual stealing. Cameras in the parking lot can see the car the suspect got into, allowing them to take down their license plate number and identify them.

Some stores even have facial recognition software so they can easily identify people from the surveillance videos. Many locally-owned stores use social media to track down shoplifters.