What Are the Potential Penalties for a Shoplifting Charge?

What are the parameters of the penalties? Any offense in the state of New Jersey can carry with it a six-month jail term and a $1,000 fine. That’s basically it. Now, it’s very rare, in a first offense, that the court would impose maximum penalties.

Though the New Jersey Penalty Includes a Jail term, It Is Unlikely to Be Imposed for a First-Offense Shoplifting Conviction

There is a presumption against incarceration, so that a first offender, of course, is not ordinarily going to go to jail. This is unless there was some other crimes being committed and somebody got hurt, but the garden-variety shoplifting, there would be no jail as part of the sentencing.

The Minimum Fines Are Less Likely to Be Imposed to Try to Deter Shoplifting

I try to negotiate fines to be kept down to the minimum, but the towns also want to send a message. They’re not going to give them a $100 slap on the wrist. They’re going to impose $250 and up because they want to protect the interests of the big stores in their locales.

Individuals Will Likely Be Prohibited from Entering the Store Where the Offense Occurred, as Well as Any Other Locations of That Store, for a Year

Quite often as well, the court orders the individual to stay out of the store in question for at least a year. They have to promise not to go on the premises of the store.

Interviewer:  And if it’s a chain store establishment, does that apply to every location of the whole chain?

Jacqueline: Exactly. They’re not allowed to go back for a year.


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