Cobb County Mother Accused of Shoplifting and Initiating Police Chase

Reports out of Cobb County accuse a 28-year-old mother of several different charges including fleeing or attempting to elude police and shoplifting.

According to reports, employees of a Belk store on Dallas Highway called police after they suspected that Medley Imani was stealing upwards of $2,000 worth of clothing from the department store. Police arrived in time to see Imani leaving the parking lot in her vehicle with the allegedly stolen items. This led to a police chase with several traffic violations. However, it ended with Imani's arrest.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the law behind shoplifting in today's post. Most people assume that shoplifting and crimes like, theft by taking in Georgia, are the same crime. While, yes, most theft crimes are very similar, there are slight differences that are important to recognize and understand.

Shoplifting in Georgia

Shoplifting in Georgia is defined in O.C.G.A. § 16-8-14 as:

Performing certain actions with the intent of taking merchandise without paying for it or depriving the owner of possession of the merchandise or its value.

In Georgia, the most commonly reported type of shoplifting is when one walks out of a store without paying for the items. However, there are many other types of shoplifting. The law defining shoplifting outlines the following ways:

• Concealing or taking possession of merchandise of any store
• Altering price tags
• Switching price tags
• Wrongfully causing the amount to be paid to be lower than it is supposed to
• Or moving merchandise into a different container.

This is where shoplifting is very different from other theft crimes. The state of Georgia has very specific penalties for shoplifting. It is similar to other theft crimes in that it can be classified as a misdemeanor or a felony based upon the value of the items stolen, as well as any aggravating circumstances of the crime. Also, repeat offenders of shoplifting will face harsher penalties.

Practice Note

As you can see from the table above, shoplifting charges should not be taken lightly. Theft at any level is a serious crime and can ruin a person's reputation and livelihood.

If you or a loved one has been accused of a theft crime in Georgia, contact our offices today. We can help walk you through all of your options and determine which course of action is the best for you to take. Contact a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney now.