To those who get caught, this is the reality of the justice system

Most of what I've seen on matters of the law are based on misinformation, so here's the reality of what happens when you get caught shoplifting:<br><br>1. You get detained and taken to a back room to be searched by LP. If you are under 18, a parent/guardian will be called. If you are with other people, they may or may not be detained as well; it depends on the store and their policy. If your companions are let go, they will generally be banned for life, and their information will be taken to be put into a shared database with other retailers. <br>2. If you are over 18, you will typically be given three options; 1. Pay a civil demand fine and receive a no-trespass order and leave 2. Pay a civil demand fine and receive no criminal charges or no-trespass order, and leave 3. Refuse to pay a civil demand and receive no criminal charges or a no-trespass order, and leave. If you are under 18, you have no options but number 2. Refusing to pay the civil demand accomplishes nothing, other than wasting an extra 30 minutes of your life to stand your ground on a meaningless matter. However, you will still receive a no-trespass order.<br>3. Once you have chosen one of the three options, they will generally let you go, and that's it. You will never hear about it ever again. Getting "charged" with a crime means nothing. In reality, you can get charged with a crime, but never actually receive charges. This is what happens 99.999% of the time. Your slate will be clean, and you will never see the justice system regarding that incident again. <br>4. There is a common misconception regarding the "3 strikes rule" on shoplifting. When you receive charges, but not actually get sentenced/prosecuted, it does NOT count as one of your three strikes. You would have to get convicted three times for it to matter. The chances of you actually being convicted three times in a row are next to impossible. <br><br>This is my take on it based on my own experiences and the information I have compiled. However, your experience may differ depending on the city/state/retailer you are in. Just don't get caught twice at the same place (They will prosecute the second time).