Shoplifting is so much fun! Sneaking about. Trying to look normal. Distracting the sales clerk for your friend. Getting that wicked sick blouse. It sets off that excited nervousness in your stomach and sends tingles up your spine.
And it’s not any big deal. Right? So I picked up a blouse. I was going to pay for it. I just put it in my bag to hold it while I shopped. Yes, I forgot about it. I’ve GOT the money right here in my wallet! Why would I “steal” it if I had the money?
Handcuffs are handcuffs no matter what the crime. They are hard and cold. They pinch. They can cut off the blood flow to your hands. If you piss off a cop those cuffs get really tight. They can hurt…
Shoplifting is what its called on the street. Larceny of Merchandise from a Retailer is what the Oklahoma Statutes call it. Any thing under $500.00 is a misdemeanor. Sounds minor enough. For a first offense, you can get up to 30 days in the county jail and a fine of up to $500.00. If your timing is wrong, you could get to spend the night or more in our lovely county jail before going home. (I have had seasoned convicts tell me they’d rather do a year in the penitentiary than 90 days in the Oklahoma County jail. I am not making this up.) A second offense: 30 days to one year in the County and a $1000 fine. For a third offense, 2 to 5 years in prison. If the value of the stolen merchandise is over $500, the charge is a felony.
One of the biggest problems with a shoplifting charge is having it on you record. There are places that will hire you if you have a felony drug charge on you record, but they don’t want to have to worry about a shoplifter. Shoplifting implies that you’d rather steal than pay for something. Most folks don’t boost really expensive items. (I did have one guy that got caught walking out the door with a 65” flat screen TV in his cart.) So it seems that if you’re stealing something that inexpensive and willing to risk going to jail over it, you actually like stealing. That idea can make people get really concerned about having you working at their place of business.
The good news about a shoplifting charge is that usually, if you have a competent attorney and do what you are supposed to for about 8 months, the charge will most likely be dismissed or amended to something else. Usually. For a first time charge. Where you didn’t run or take a swing at the cop. Usually.
Call us if you have a pending shoplifting charge. We have handled literally hundreds and hundreds of them. We know what to do. We can help. And, of course, remember: Don’t say nothin’ without your attorney! Anything, good or bad, that you say, can and will be used against you. So, Shut Up! Call me, Robert B. Carter at 405-236-1800, let us help you.
