Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Missouri

The answer is "NO." Your daughter is dealing with two dfifferent things. First, there is the criminal charge of shoplifting. She should have an attorney represent her on this and hopefully she will be able to avoid a convicvtion being entered upon her record. Second, there is a statute which gives a store a civil claim for damages in cases of shoplifting, regardless of the value of the items alleged to have been shoplifted. Some lawyers advise their cvlients to ignore these demands for the civil damages because it is unlikely that the store will sue for the money. But, many people find it better to just pay the demand in order to put everything behind them and get some peace of mind. I handle these cases on a regular basis, and I would be happy to speak with you or your daughter., Please feel free to give me a call.