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In the state of Florida, shoplifting is referred to as retail theft and is punishable by serious fines and heavy consequences if a person is convicted. In addition, merchants are permitted to sue adult shoplifters, or the parents of shoplifters, in civil court for court expenses, attorney fees, and up to triple the amount of the actual damages sustained.
For this reason, individuals who have been accused of shoplifting should seek experienced legal counsel right away. We can examine the details of your case and determine which legal strategies can best defend your rights and future.
When you work with our team, we can provide you with the following:
- A team backed by more than 40 years of legal experience
- A team that can provide you with a free consultation immediately
- A legal team that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Put experience and skills on your side of the courtroom today by calling our Tampa Bay criminal defense lawyers. We are ready to handle your case!
Criminal Penalties for Shoplifting
Retail can be committed in numerous ways, including the following:
- Carrying away or taking possession of a merchant’s property
- Changing price tags or labels
- Transferring merchandise from container to container
- Taking a shopping cart
Merchants who have probable cause to believe that an individual has committed shoplifting can detain the individual in a fair and reasonable manner, for a fair amount of time, in order to take back any goods or to prosecute the individual. Below is a list of shoplifting criminal penalties in Florida:
| Shoplifting property with a total amount less than $100 | Second degree misdemeanor | Jail sentence up to 60 days and fines up to $500 |
| Shoplifting property with a total amount between $100 and $300; shoplifting property with a total amount less than $100 if the person has been convicted of any theft prior | First-degree misdemeanor | Jail sentence up to one year and fines up to $1,000 |
| Second or subsequent conviction or petite theft shoplifting | First or second-degree misdemeanor | Between 60 days to one year in jail and fines between $50 and $1,000 |
| Shoplifting property with a total amount between $300 and $20,000 | Third degree grand theft | Up to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000 |
| Shoplifting property with a total amount between $20,000 and $100,000 | Second degree grand theft | Prison sentence up to 15 years and fines up to $10,000 |
| Shoplifting property with a total amount of more than $100,000 or if the course of a grand theft the offender causes damage to the real or personal property of another in excess of $1,000 | First degree grand theft | Prison sentence up to 30 years and fines up to $10,000 |
In some cases, Florida counties will allow certain persons accused of first-time or low-level offenses to participate in pretrial diversion programs, which can allow a person’s criminal charges to be dropped if they fulfill the requirements of the program.
If you or someone you love has been accused of shoplifting, we urge you to get in touch with our Tampa Bay criminal defense attorneys at Greater Tampa Law P.L. right away! We can defend your rights and future.
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