3 Tips for Getting a Shoplifting Ban Lifted If You Were Not Prosecuted

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If you are caught shoplifting the store has the choice to handle the incident in-house or they can also get the police involved. When police are involved in a shoplifting incident, they may decide to give you a warning or write up a report and have a prosecutor charge you with criminal charges. If you are only given a warning and are not charged with a crime, then there is a high chance that the store required you sign paperwork that bans you from entering the store again. If you enter the store after signing this ban, you could be arrested for trespassing. Therefore, it may be in your best interest to get the ban removed. Luckily, there are a few tips you can use to get the ban lifted.

Wait Until the Statute of Limitations Runs Out

The fact that the store or the police did not press charges against you for shoplifting means that they were doing you a favor. Therefore, digging up an old case and bringing it to their attention may not work in your favor. As a result, you should avoid making any contact with the company until after the statute of limitations runs out on the shoplifting. If you decide to contact the company before then, they may decide to press charges against you.

Establish a Good Track Record

When lifting a ban a retailer will look for evidence that you have changed. This means that you have no recent incidents of shoplifting. The easiest way to do this is by putting a good amount of time between you and the incident. If the shoplifting incident only happened a few months ago this is not enough proof to show that you have changed your ways. Instead, retailers look for a clean record that spans several years.

Send a Letter to the Main Office

If you were banned from a chain store, then you will need to send a letter to the main office asking for your shoplifting ban to be lifted. The letter should highlight the ways in which you have changed your life around and why you feel as though you deserve a second chance. If you are dealing with a small retail store, then you can send a letter directly to the owners of that store. It is ultimately up to the retailer to decide whether they will lift the ban or not.

If you were not prosecuted for shoplifting, then you should consider yourself lucky. However, being banned from a store as a result of shoplifting is not something you want. Therefore, use these tips to get your shoplifting ban removed. If you find yourself in a sticky situation and have been charged for shoplifting, contact a local attorney that specializes in criminal law.


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