Can a person be charged or prosecuted for shoplifting after the fact?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can a person be charged or prosecuted for shoplifting after the fact?
I discovered that my son has been shoplifting from certain stores. A nice manager informed me of this having looked at video footage from their CC monitors. He is not going to prosecute, but after confronting my son about it, he admitted to doing so at other local businesses. I doubt he will ever be doing this again after the punishment I am imposing, but I am concerned about what other businesses may do if they discovered him doing so within their respective places of business. My son is over 18, so would face charges as an adult. Also, there could be several incidents compiled with which to charge him. If so, I would like to save him from the legal recourse and institute my own methods of ensuring that he is broken of this habit, up to and including counseling and a bit of
Asked on August 12, 2019 under Criminal Law, Missouri
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 4 years ago | Contributor
Yes, he can be; a shoplifter can be charged and prosecuted any time within the "statute of limitations," which in MO is 1 year if the value of the items take is less than $500, or 3 years if the value was $500 or more. There is no requirement that he be charged (or arrested) or prosecuted on the spot or immediately.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.