Shoplifting Charges at Hamilton ShopRite

Shoplifting offenses are not only limited to the needy or teenagers exercising bad judgement. In fact, over the years we have defended doctors, nurses, teachers, and even loss prevention officers for various criminal offenses including shoplifting. In just another example of this, a teacher from the Hamilton Township school district in Mercer County was placed on administrative leave after she was formally charged with shoplifting last month. The Defendant, a twenty-nine year old female from Hamilton, was arrested following an incident that took place at the ShopRite on Route 33 on September 10th. According to the reports, the loss prevention officer has asserted that he caught the Defendant in the act and detained her until the Hamilton Township Police Department was able to arrive. Once the police arrived, the Defendant was taken into custody and charged with one count of shoplifting, in violation of NJSA 2C:20-11b.

It appears that most of the merchandise in question was bath products.  Since the value of the items was less than $200, the Defendant was charged with a disorderly persons offense. Therefore, the charges will need to be litigated in the Hamilton Township Municipal Court. If convicted, the Defendant could face up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine and 10 days of community service. If you have been charged with shoplifting in Mercer County, the Law Offices of Proetta & Oliver can help. Call us now to speak to one of the members of our team or send us an email to schedule a free initial consultation.

Collateral Consequences of a Shoplifting Conviction?

As you can see from reading this article, the Defendant in this case has been suspended, with pay, pending the resolution of the charges. So even before the resolution of the case, the Defendant is already having rather significant consequences. If the Defendant is later to be convicted of this charge, she will almost certainly have deal with the potential revocation of her teaching license as well. This is just one of the many collateral consequences that a Defendant will face in New Jersey if they are arrested for a shoplifting offense. Although not the case here, another major collateral consequence of a shoplifting conviction in New Jersey is when it comes to immigration status. Since shoplifting is considered a crime of moral turpitude, anyone convicted of this offense who is not a United States citizen will almost certainly deal with some type of immigration consequences. For more information on the potential collateral consequences of a shoplifting conviction in New Jersey, please contact our office at (732) 856-9959. Our attorneys are available immediately for a free initial consultation.

For more information on this article, please check out the article on nj.com, Hamilton teacher suspended following shoplifting charge.