Shoplifting Charges at JCPenney in New Jersey
JCPenney prosecutes some the most shoplifting cases in New Jersey year after year. This is primarily because JCPenney is also one of the biggest retail department store chains in our state not only in the number of store locations but also in the sheer size of retail space they occupy in each shopping mall. This leads to tens of thousands of shoppers walking through its doors every year and sometimes dozens, if not hundreds of patrons arrested on allegations of shoplifting. JCPenney, like many other large department stores, employs a full-time staff of loss prevention officers whose sole job is watch for suspicious shoppers who may be concealing clothes or merchandise. These security guards are typically trained to first record any suspects on surveillance video stealing before they will stop and detain anyone. This is important to know because an experienced New Jersey shoplifting attorney can analyze the evidence against you including any video recordings to challenge the state’s proofs and create reasonable doubt in order to secure you a downgrade or even a dismissal altogether. If you would like to learn more about how the lawyers at Proetta & Oliver can help you, contact our office today at (732) 856-9959 to speak with an experienced shoplifting attorney during a free consultation.
What Happens If I Am Caught Shoplifting at JCPenney?
JCPenney is a major american department store with over a 1,000 store locations in the Unites States including well over a dozen located throughout New Jersey. JCPenney stores carry their own regular brands but also lease smaller spaces within their stores to businesses like Sephora, coffee shops, and salons. In New Jersey, a JCPenney store can be found in almost every major shopping mall including Monmouth Mall, Woodbridge Center, Freehold Raceway Mall, Brunswick Square Mall, Newport Centre, Wayne Towne Center, Westfield Garden State Plaza, Ocean County Mall, Rockaway Townsquare, and Quaker Bridge Mall. If you have been caught shoplifting at one of the JCPenny stores listed above then you will be given a mandatory date and time to appear in court. However, the court you appear in will depend on how much money the merchandise was worth. For instance if the merchandise or clothing was worth less than $200 then you will be charged with a disorderly persons offense for shoplifting and you will be required to appear in the local town or city’s municipal court. However, if the charges allege that the JCPenny merchandise was worth more than $200 then will be charged with an indictable crime (or felony) and the case will be sent to the County Superior Court to be reviewed and handled by the County Prosecutor’s Office. This is probably one of the most crucial times to have an attorney on your side because an experienced defense lawyer can often reach out to the prosecutor’s office during this early stage and speak with them to see if they will consider downgrading and remanding the charges back to municipal court. This is something that our attorneys will routinely do for our shoplifting clients that are initially charged with an indictable crime. If you are interested in learning more about the procedures that are involved and what our shoplifting lawyers can possibly do for you, call us today at (732) 856-9959 for a free consultation.