What happens if I get caught?

First off, you have a 90% chance of not getting caught. Stores are experts at making it seem like they're always watching you, but in reality they have very few eyes on the ground. These are the outcomes if you do get caught.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>If you have never done it before:<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>You will probably not be arrested. You will more likely be banned from the store and asked to sign a trespass notice, accepting the terms of not returning. Otherwise, they will call the cops and have you arrested<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>If you are a repeat offender:<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>You will be issued a citation/ticket, and unlike most tickets you can't pay it off. You will be required to show up to court, where they will plea bargain you down to community service. You will never have to pay anything. If you skip out on the community service they will issue a warrant for your arrest... and after several months of not doing anything, they will just drop the warrant and drop the charges. They will send you a letter saying that they think you might have skipped town, and they are dropping the charges.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>About the only time you get arrested is if the manager/security guard/cops are in a bad mood. This will result in a night in jail, and you will likely get out early the next day. If you have a prior history of shoplifting (which the cops will know), you might be charged with felony theft, and face a few days in jail, but they will likely drop the felony charge and you will walk away with a ticket. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>This is what I've learned from my personal experiences, and from asking people in the legal field. In my state they consider a small amount of 'theft' to be petty, so they don't really care enough to enforce the law.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>\*\*This isn't legal advice. If you are in a situation like this, hire a lawyer and talk to them about what might happen. I do not condone illegal activity. This is just educational purposes only. \*\*