Asked 3/28/2016 – Dallas, TX

I am a 30 yr a single mother of 3. This past weekend I was caught shoplifting, it’s my first & last. Was the stupidest thing I have ever done in my life. I walked out the store w/out paying for a couple of colognes that I wanted to give as a gift.I did it bcoz a friend of mine said that it would be fun & I wouldn’t get caught since she did it so many times not knowing what my consequences would be. I was literally embarrassed when a couple of gentle came up to me asking what I had taken out the store. With fear & embarrassment, I lied about getting another item & they found it. My heart was beating fast & I was so scared to let the father of my child know but had no options but to do so. They questioned me & asked me for my identification which I had provided.They took my ID & they filled out the loss prevention paperwork that they had me sign. The items I stole came to an amount of $110. I begged & pleaded that I am willing to pay what I had stolen & they said no.They called the cops & after waiting for more than an hour, cops never came. They just told me that I would be expecting a civil demand letter & that they would file a lawsuit against me.

Answer

Do not pay the civil demand. There is a difference between a civil proceeding and criminal prosecution. If your friend receives a letter from Wal-Mart or an attorney representing them regarding payment, ignore it. If your friend receives a ticket in the mail from the police, a call from any law enforcement agency or a notice from any court to appear, contact a local attorney immediately.