Home > It's A Legal Matter > Crime shoppers

Crime shoppers

By Jeff Terrill

Fort Wayne Reader

2018-02-15


In Indiana, a person who knowingly exerts unauthorized control over property belonging to another person with the intention of depriving that person of the use or value of that property commits the offense of theft.

Meet Jan. She’s a big city gal. She lives in Manhattan and is back in Indiana for a few days to visit her elderly father. Jan isn’t a real person.

Jan runs out to the store to grab a few things to make dinner. She is planning to make a great meal for her dad. In the produce section, Jan squeezes the tomatoes and the eggplant. She only buys the freshest produce. Jan breaks off a broccoli branch and tries it. She also eats a couple of different grapes before deciding which bunch to buy. She does the same at the olive bar before buying her dad’s favorite antipasto.

After a while, Jan makes her way around to the section of the store that sells nuts. Jan samples a couple of pistachios and pecans. The chocolate covered almonds catch her eye so she tries a couple of those too.

Jan proceeds to the cashier, pays and leaves the store with her three bags of food. Before she gets to her car, a woman approaches Jan, identifies herself as an employee of the store and orders Jan back into the store. Jan complies. The woman leads Jan to an office within the store. The woman confronts Jan about the food Jan consumed while she shopped. Jan politely apologizes and offers to pay for those items.

Jan explains that she lives in New York and that she always samples the food when she shops. Jan tells the woman that the food stores in New York permit her to occasionally sample the food.

The store employee tells Jan that she’s not in New York and that she’ll need to wait for the police to arrive. When the officer arrives, she questions Jan and Jan admits that she ate several items of food and that she did not pay for those items. The store employee advises the officer that the store wishes to pursue a charge of theft against Jan.

The officer takes Jan to jail. Jan is getting hungry. She’s in the mood for some antipasto.

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Jeff Terrill is a partner/shareholder with the law firm of Arnold Terrill Anzini, P.C. Mr. Terrill represents clients accused of crimes throughout northeast Indiana. You can contact Mr. Terrill with any questions or comments at his office at 260.420.7777 or via email at jterrill@fortwaynedefense.com. Learn more about his firm at www.fortwaynedefense.com. This article expressed opinions and observations of the author, is not intended as legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader. Please consult a qualified attorney with any legal questions or issues you might have. Thank you.

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