[carol ann]

My daughter was at Walmart yesterday, put four nail polish pens in her cart and to keep them from falling through the holes in the cart, put her purse on top of them until she could decide what two to keep. She finished the rest of her shopping forgetting that the polish pens were under her purse, went through check out and paid for her $40 of merchandise. The security gurards pushed her into a room and screamed at her. My daughter was crying and said she totally forgot it was under her purse. Yes this looks bad and I am sure shoplifters say this all the time. She asked why she would steal anything and then go through check out. They searched her purse and one female guard told her it would sound better if she said she was out of work, not that she forgot. They asked her what drugs she was on and then screamed at her when she called her husband. The female guard said, " Who told you you could make a phone call"
The police came and made a report. They took her $40 worth of paid merchandise, returned it, and gave her the money back. Then the female guard opens up the nail polish and tries it to show the male guard how it works. How legal is that? He says, "cool".
She is released and a report was made and she was told never to come to that Walmart again. The one she was at was in a higher crime area and I am sure my daughter's case does look suspicious. They said she would get a letter to appear in court. By the way the total of the pens were $24.
My daughter's worry is that this has never happened before to her and she is worried that even though she is innocent, that there will be an account on her record. She is a law abiding citizen and nanny and worried that it will ruin her ability to work.
Also, can they scream and harrass a person? Should she try to appeal to the store manager? Should she get a copy of the police report? What should she do next?

[excon]

Hello Carol:

She should hire a criminal defense lawyer and follow his advice to the letter. She should do that TODAY!

excon