Arrested for Shoplifting? 10 things to remember

1. If you are being detained, you have been arrested. Arrest really just means that you have been stopped. They are allowed to do this.
2. Don't say anything. You may be guilty as sin, but you have a Constitutional right. The 5th Amendment protects you from self-incrimination.
3. Don't believe anything they say. A department store will tell you that they will "let you go" if you cooperate. They are trying to get a confession out of you or collect evidence so that they can turn you over to the police.
4. Don't let the store take a picture. They don't have the right. They will tell you they "need" to. They don't. Turn your head, look down. It makes them angry, but so what?
5. Don't let them look through your stuff. They will say things like, "I'm going to look through your purse to get your ID, OK?" Tell them no. It makes them angry, but so what? They will tell you that they will turn you over to the police because you didn't cooperate. So what? They were going to do that anyway. When the police come, they CAN look through your stuff without your consent if there is probable cause that you committed a crime. I'm looking into the matter of whether or not the police had the right to get my ID from my purse or search through my purse when I was only being accused of taking 1 item.
6. Don't say anything. The police will try to get you to tell them what happened even after they read you your Miranda rights. Repeat this mantra, "I have the right to remain silent." They will ask again. Repeat, "I have the right to remain silent." They will tell you you are rude, have a bad attitude and demand to know why you aren't cooperating. They will ask you about the weather and try again to get a confession. Repeat this mantra, "I have the right to remain silent. I have the right to have an attorney."
7. Remember everything they do. You have other rights like protection from cruel and unusual punishment. Did they use uneccessary force? Did you advise them that you have a legitimate injury? Did they ignore what you said? Did they do anything cruel and unusual? ie did you tell them you had to go to the bathroom for 90 minutes without being allowed to go? They will tell you that they will let you use the bathroom if you cooperate. Don't tell them anything. Report things they do wrong to agencies like the ACLU or register a complaint of police misconduct to PoliceAbuse.com. If the shopkeeper does anything wrong, they may have to drop their charges. They may be found to be even more guilty than you an criminally or at lest civilly liable. You may be able to collect damages--money--for what they did wrong.
8. Yes, you're in trouble. Yes, you might be guilty as sin. So what? You still have rights.
9. Depending on your history and the charges a public defender may be just as good as a lawyer you pay for.
10. Lastly. Stop stealing you fucking idiot!

I Quit

I can no longer steal. I have lost the touch. I got caught a second time. Why am I doing this to myself? The thing is, it was an ugly dress that didn't even fit me right. I was going to leave it in the dressing room. I didn't. I should have.

I came down quite harshly on those who have been caught multiple times tuning around and teaching their kids how to steal. Now clearly, I should quit.

I met a guy who I think should quit. He had 5 felony counts of commercial burglary, etc and just got out of jail for running a shoplifting ring that supplied purses to wealthy women who want the latest and are willing to pay. He wants a decent job, but can't get one because he's a convicted felon.

I don't want to end up in the same boat.

I Went Shopping!

I went shopping today. For the first time in a long time all I did was shop. And when I mean shop, I mean I paid for everything that went in my bag. No looking over my shoulder. No wondering if I'm going to get caught. No sneaking around. No wondering if my bag is looking over stuffed. No pretending to try things on in the dressing room.

It was a relief.

This is a hard lesson for me... It's been so long since I did normal shopping. It makes me wonder why I ever took anything because in comparison, I feel so much better when I am actually purchasing items. I can think about the person I am shopping for. I can think about how much they will like the gift.

What a relief.

I can think about how much money is going into the mess I created for myself.
The value of the items I took. And that everything I am going to pay in lawyers fees and payments to the company I stole from could have just gone into paying for items that I really wanted and that fit me well.

Don't be stupid.
Don't shoplift!!

Now I have to worry about whether or not I'm going to be on probation, or have the case dismissed or end up in court they didn't catch me on days when I had $1000 worth of merchandise in my bag. That would then be Felony Grand Theft.

Maybe for everyone else, this is a no-brainer. I should have thought about this before. I used to be like that, but everything changed when I got sick 2 years ago. More on that later. How do I explain that I didn't feel anything? How do I explain that I felt like it didn't really matter? I don't know.

So I'm going to say it again:

Don't be stupid.
Don't shoplift!!

Petty Thief Arrested!!

I'm a dumbass. I was so good at this up until recently. As we learned from Winona, don't shoplift under the influence. As you may learn from me, don't shoplift when you are angry at the world, confused, depressed and frustrated. You won't think clearly and you will get caught. The suspicious behavior that the rent-a-cops heard about was that I was trying to make a "suspicious" return. I tried to return an item in the wrong department. The associate told me the right department and I went upstairs instead of downstairs. I made the error of not concealing that I took something in that department. The merchandise I returned was actually legit. All they had to do was look at the fucking tag. Retards. OK, really, I'm the one who is retarded. They did watch me buy some expensive shoes that were on sale. I thought about snagging them, but it was a good thing I didn't. I then took a lipstick when I thought no one was watching me.

I walked out of the store and two security guards in plain clothes stopped me. Don't be an idiot and resist them. They will lie to you to get you to cooperate. They told me they would let me go. Then they told me that if the police were in a good mood that I might be released with a ticket and if they were in a bad mood that I would go to the station. Cooperate or it will not go well for you. I gave them the items I took. When I was asked if I had taken anything else, I shook my head no. They asked again and I again said no. I had to listen to the rent-a-cops swear and talk about how the other people they had detained were stupid and they thought it was funny that one woman had soiled herself when she was stopped.

The police were nicer than what you see on TV, but it was still unpleasant. There were a bunch of guys sitting on a bench handcuffed. They asked me if I had any reason to fear for my life and I said yes. They asked why and I said that those guys looked scary. Because of this they put me in isolation. I was the only female there.

I was transported to the police station. They told me I wasn't under arrest. I got a pat down, an escort to the bathroom and the whole works. I wonder if they are really doing their job when there is graffiti etched in the glass and paint of the cell I was in. But then after sitting in the tank for two hours, they finally read me my rights. They asked me to cooperate with them and tell my side of the story. They booked me, took mug shots and fingerprints and let me go without posting bail.

I had to call a cab, but at least I was on my way home. I certainly wasn't going to call anyone and say, "Hi, I'm calling you from JAIL! Can you pick me up?" The cab driver took one look at me and said, "What are YOU doing here at this hour?" What am I doing here? That's a great question.