Legal Question in Criminal Law in California
Shoplifting
I took a book from a grocery store worth $8. I was detained, paid a fine to the store, and was told I could never come back. I was never arrested. Is there a statute of limitations for how long I have to not go back on the store premises?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Shoplifting
Wow, you were very lucky. Why would you want to mess that up.
Re: Shoplifting
No. Statutes of limitation determine the time in which a prosecutor can file criminal charges. They have nothing to do with how the victim of the crime treats the offender.
If the store says you may never return then you may never return -- unless, of course, it relents. You have no right to enter its premises against its wishes. You had no such rights even before the theft, but it chose to allow you in up to that time.
One more point -- the fact that you were not arrested doesn't mean you won't be charged and prosecuted. By paying the "fine" you may have already admitted your guilt, so the D.A. would have a much easier time prosecuting you than she otherwise would.
Good luck.
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