Walk It Through: The Shoplifting Charge
A jacket under $300, a summons, a petty offense, and six months to file it.
A teenager walks out of a store wearing a jacket with the tag still on. The jacket costs less than $300.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
A first theft under $300. Juvenile court procedure, a civil demand letter from the store, and theft of a firearm are left out.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Class 1 misdemeanorThe higher of the two misdemeanor classes: up to 364 days in jail, not more than a one thousand dollar fine, or both, for an offense on or after March 1, 2022.
- Petty offenseThe lowest level of offense: a fine of not more than $300, up to ten days in a county jail, or both, for an offense on or after March 1, 2022.