Asked 10/6/2016 – Waco, TX

See above. I’m only 16! And I live in Texas. My mom came to pick me up. Do I need a lawyer? My mom doesn’t know. Please help.

Answer

You will receive a civil demand letter from a law firm representing Walmart, demanding you pay them some $350. Ignore that letter. Payment of that sum does not bar criminal prosecution and the chance that an actual civil suit is filed against you to recover this sum is nil. On the criminal side, theft of property in the amount of $14 would be a class c misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $500. If you were given a citation at the scene, bring it to a local attorney for review. Theft is a crime of moral turpitude, and a conviction on this type of case can affect you forever. If you were not given any ticket, consider yourself lucky.