If you steal an item and later return it..

[Mackmax]

I ask this question because I was thinking of Orange is the New Black, and how a character tried to return an item she stole years ago to the store, so lets say that you stole a nice $50 necklace from a store, but your guilty conscience is haunting you, so you decide to go back to the store and return it, will you still get arrested?
Would you call the cops on someone who returned an item they stole from you, or would you let it go and forgive them since they seem to have learned from their mistake, and seem to have a heart?

 

[Shimus]

I think they would still prosecute you if the merchandise in question was still being sold at the time of the return. If they no longer carry it, trying to return an item like that would seem ludicrous and make you seem like a lunatic to the cashier on staff at the time. Of course, I could be wrong since I'm not a cop but that would seem to be the case.

But if I was working, I'd probably let it slide and tell them to never come inside the store again.

 

[Patrick]

I think under the law it still constitutes an offence. Personally I don't believe in second chances for this sort of thing, I would probably still call the cops on them.

 

[DancingLady]

If I was the store owner I would forgive. It takes a lot of courage to come forward and make things right when you have done something like that. I think you found prosecute if you wanted to, but I do not think that is what Jesus would do. Showing mercy to someone can change their life forever while being a hardliner can harden them.

 

[Profit5500]

I ask this question because I was thinking of Orange is the New Black, and how a character tried to return an item she stole years ago to the store, so lets say that you stole a nice $50 necklace from a store, but your guilty conscience is haunting you, so you decide to go back to the store and return it, will you still get arrested?
Would you call the cops on someone who returned an item they stole from you, or would you let it go and forgive them since they seem to have learned from their mistake, and seem to have a heart?

It's your item and your store so its up to you what consequence you want to deliver. If someone stole from me and then returned the item out of pure guilt I would still have them arrested since he or she has stole from me. Why would you steal and come back in the first place.

 

[primalclaws1974]

I don't know that I could readily forgive a stranger that stole from me. I would wonder why they were returning it at that point. I don't think you could legally take it back, because insurance probably covered the theft. I guess I sound cold, but I am looking at it from a business perspective. Were they thinking of the money I was losing and if it hurt my family when they stole it before?

 

[Kittyworker]

It depends on the store. They are well within their right to press charges if they have proof that you in fact stole the item. However they aren't likely to have such evidence. Even if you confess they aren't likely to have enough other evidence to get a conviction. Most stores don't keep camera footage for longer than a week or two. Anything under $200 wouldn't be worth trying to get a conviction for.

 

[ally79]

Technically, I guess yes, they could still prosecute you because not only did you steal, but you admitted to stealing. If I was the store owner though and someone returned merchandise like that I probably wouldn't prosecute. That takes a lot of courage.

 

[Shimus]

It's nice to see a couple other people willing to give people another chance. People call people like us suckers, or they'll state we're crazy for thinking like this, or that we're stupid. But we still have a heart and believe people can and will change. I can generally tell if the person returning it was truthfully sorry, or if they were shady (like itching themselves junkie type shady) and then I'd deal appropriately.

 

[Rainman]

If I was the thief, then to save face I would probably quietly replace the stolen item where I got it and walk out without raising suspicion. Thing is most people may not take kindly to a confession of theft. They would suspect that maybe that's not the only item you stole which is why they'll call the cops on you. Best to avoid all that. Anonymously send it back in the mail.

 

[Gelsemium]

There is always the possibility to try to return it, but in that case we depend on the owner, because we have stolen we can still face charges regardless of returning it or not.

 

[Profit5500]

It depends on the store. They are well within their right to press charges if they have proof that you in fact stole the item. However they aren't likely to have such evidence. Even if you confess they aren't likely to have enough other evidence to get a conviction. Most stores don't keep camera footage for longer than a week or two. Anything under $200 wouldn't be worth trying to get a conviction for.

Anything worth any price is not worth stealing period. If it's cash that you randomly found on the ground and no one can claim it's theirs then that is different. So do not steal anything and there would not be a conviction.