Shoplifting at Nordstrom Rack, Beverly Center, No File

Our client, age 70, was visiting Los Angeles from New York City to search for a house to move to in order to be closer to her daughter in Los Angeles.  She and her husband, who was 75, then went to the Nordstrom Rack at the Beverly Center off La Cienega Boulevard.

The husband hated shopping, so he sat outside the store in a coffee shop, reading the newspaper while his wife went into the store.

Our client then went into Nordstrom Rack, hoping to find some bargain items.  However, she found nothing she liked after a while, except a bottle of shampoo that was priced at $19.99.  She took the shampoo, put it in her purse and continued to browse the store, determined to find something she liked.

After a few more minutes of finding nothing, she decided to leave the store and find her husband.  She walked out of the store, forgetting about the shampoo in her purse.

A loss prevention officer stopped her just feet past the store exit.  Our client was confused by the young lady asking her to come back into the store and asking her if she had exited the store without paying for anything.  

Our client responded by stating she wanted to pay for the item, but the loss prevention officer told her she could not.  Instead, loss prevention looked through our client’s purse, mortifying our client.  After all, she had no prior criminal history and had never experienced anything like this before.  She was worried what her husband would think of her.

After about two hours, she was released from the Nordstrom Rack after the Los Angeles Police Department came and issued her a citation to appear in about three months in the Metropolitan Courthouse at 1845 Hill Street in Los Angeles.

The client was still in a state of shock when she reunited with her husband, who never imagined that his wife would shoplift.

The couple called Greg Hill & Associates the following day and then met with him at the office.  

The couple described what happened and asked what would happen in court.  The client was terrified of going to jail, as loss prevention officers suggested might happen.

Greg reassured the client and her husband that on a first-time shoplifting case, particularly when the defendant is 70 years old and the value of the item is less than $20.  Greg then explained how he expected such a case to be handled by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and he thought the matter very likely would not even be filed or may be referred to the Neighborhood Justice Program (NJP) or an office hearing.

Greg also commented that he thought the case really would be filed, if at all, at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Courts Building (CCB) and not at the Metropolitan Courthouse.

Greg recommended that the client enroll in and take an online shoplifting prevention course called “Stoplifting” from Third Millennium and then send him the proof of completion certificate.  Greg would mail it to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office near the Clara Shortridge Foltz courthouse to recommend that their either simply not file the case or, at the most, refer the case to the NJP or an office hearing.

The client then retained Greg Hill & Associates and immediately took the online “Stoplifting” course offered by Third Millennium.  The client then sent Greg her proof of completion certificate.  She and her husband then returned to New York City.

Greg then wrote the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office the letter described above.  

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office did not respond before the date set for the client’s arraignment.  So, Greg went to the Clara Shortridge Foltz courthouse after confirming the case, if filed, would be filed there.

There was nothing filed against our client.  The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office told Greg, based on the citation number on the ticket, that the matter was under investigation.

Greg shared this news with the client, who was very happy that the case had not been filed.  Greg told the client that he did not expect the case to be filed at all, but cautioned that it could be filed up to one year after the date of the incident.