According to the Law, There Is No Such Thing as “Accidental” Shoplifting

If any of the following has happened to you, you have, according to the law, shoplifted:

Ï missing an item on the bottom when unloading your cart at the register of your grocery store in Austin and then leaving the store with the item still unpaid for

Ï Accumulating several smaller items in your purse so that they don’t fall out of the cart, but having one fall to the very bottom and so neglecting to pay for it before leaving the store

Ï The checker failing to scan one of your items before putting it into your bag and you not noticing until you look at your receipt once at home

All of these incidents may have been an accident or may have gone totally unnoticed by you.  However, they all could also fall under the criminal heading of shoplifting.   Sadly, because real shoplifters use the “I didn’t mean to” or the “I meant to pay for these but forgot” excuses, those same phrases will not relieve you of culpability in the eyes of the law when you utter them, even though you really didn’t mean to.

In an effort to get tough on theft, many stores have adopted zero-tolerance policies when it comes to shoplifting. Thus it is that even though you are not a thief and had no intention of stealing, you can find yourself facing a criminal shoplifting charge in the state of Texas.  If this happens to you, you need to contact an Austin criminal attorney as soon as possible.

If you try to defend yourself, you will be up against an unwieldy Austin court system that does not take into account your character, your past credibility, or the fact that you never intended to shoplift.  Despite the presumption that should be present that you are innocent until proven guilty, the supposition will be that since you had the “stolen” goods in your possession, you are in fact guilty.

Although you have, according to the law, technically shoplifted, your criminal attorney understands how distractions or honest mistakes while shopping can occur.  In addition, they also understand how Texas shoplifting laws are handled in the Austin courts.  Your criminal attorney knows that you are not a criminal, and they understand the laws surrounding shoplifting and theft much more thoroughly than you can.  They want to be your voice against a system that sees you as a common thief.  They also want to ensure that your rights are protected.  Don’t let your life be ruined by a mistake, let your criminal attorney fight for the justice you deserve.