In essence, it is evident that the defendants, Bubba Hurt, Skeeter Redrum and Summer Breeze committed an offense of theft by shoplifting. By Georgia law definition, shoplifting is performing a certain activity with the aim of taking the product(s) without paying for it or denying the owner of ownership of the product or its value. Acts that constitute shoplifting when combined with such intention incorporate taking possession of or concealing merchandise, swapping labels or price tags, changing price tags, transferring a product from one container then onto the next, or wrongfully making the price paid to be lower than the vendor's price.
Charges and penalties
Under Georgian laws, shoplifters face serious criminal punishments, including fines and jail time. Also, shoplifters can be sued for damages by a victimized vendor in a civil court. However, the nature of chargers and penalties depend on the severity or classification of the shoplifting offense ("2010 Georgia Code :: TITLE 16 - CRIMES AND OFFENSES :: CHAPTER 8 - OFFENSES INVOLVING THEFT :: ARTICLE 1 - THEFT :: § 16-8-14 - Theft by shoplifting," n.d.). Shoplifting in Georgia is categorized either as a felony or a misdemeanor relying upon details, for example, the value of the merchandise stolen, and additionally any exasperating conditions of the offense.
Based on the price of merchandise stolen, Bubba Hurt, Skeeter Redrum, and Summer Breeze committed a felony. They took merchandise worth $672 (3 dozen Big Guy socks costing $12 per pair and two dozen Hang Nail Free socks costing $10 per pair). Under Georgian theft law, in case an offender has shoplifted merchandise with an aggregate collective value of more than $300, they are liable to be charged with a felony ("Caught Shoplifting in GA - 37$ - First Offense," 2009).
In devising the charges and penalty for the three offenders, I would rely on Georgia Criminal Code. It provides that under felony for theft of property with an aggregate combined value of more than $300 is punishable by a jail term of not less than one year but not more than ten years and fines which are at the discretion of the court. For the first defendant, Bubba Hurt, he will pay a penalty of $1500 and serve jail time of 2 years with the first year being mandatory. For the two defendants, Skeeter Redrum and summer each will pay a fine of $100 and serve a jail term of 18 months ("Your Guide to Shoplifting Charges in Georgia," 2014). I treat Bubba Hurt differently because unlike the other two defendants, he has two other previous charges one of which was shoplifting.
Crime scenario
There are some aspects of this crime that points out to professionalism. Some of these elements include age and the nature of the crime taking into consideration the fact that the three offenders are of the legal age and also were capable of using force. While most amateurs usually surrender the game around the time, they reach puberty or possibly once they are mature enough to pay their bills, for professional criminals it is a full-time career. Bubba Hurt, for instance, has a history of crime, one of which was shoplifting (Holmes, 2017). This shows that it has become a habit.
Professional criminals make a career out of theft. They are the type of criminals who take pride in their work. They are inventive and innovative in their work and acknowledge its risks. The fact that Bubba Hurt, Skeeter Redrum, and Summer Breeze were aware of the risks and knew there was a security officer shows that they were aware of the fact that there was the possibility of the use of force. Professional criminals likewise engaged in auto vehicle theft, auto vehicle burglary, and art theft or fraud by use of stolen or forged charge cards, grab and run shoplifting, among other crimes (Holmes, 2017).
According to Holmes, for professional criminals, crime is the primary source of source of income: they put all energy and full working time to it and continually tries to enhance his skills (Holmes, 2017). They try to have practical experience and maybe specialize in one or two crimes. They typically comply with the law, apart from when it obstructs his crime. Looking at Bubba Hurt criminal history, crime is his lifestyle: The professional criminal establishes his very own theory and arranges his life and undertakings around new attitudes, beliefs, and values.
Additionally, it appears that these offenders carefully planned their actions and operated with efficiency. This is because they were not caught at the crime scene which conforms to Holmes attributes of a professional criminal. According to Caldwell, a professional criminal operates with proficiency and precisely plans his actions: He takes well-premeditated risks and hates failure (Holmes, 2017). This is in contrast to an armature criminal who commits a crime on a regular basis but without particular skills.
The three offenders engaged in a grab and run crime. Just as it sounds, they grabbed a ton of high dollar merchandise and ran like hell. Many of the professional shoplifters enter a store, stack up a shopping basket loaded with goods and walk out. If they are stopped, and there is an attempt to apprehend them, the subjects fight with the people attempting to seize them. Most retailers have a 'no hands' approach, and the security officer can lose their job if they fight.
Criminal typology
The three defendants are professional shoplifters. The term 'shoplifting' portrays larceny by consumers from retailers through taking products without paying for them. While shoplifters come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, a straightforward method for distinguishing shoplifters is to use two classifications, amateurs, and professionals (Paradis, 1995). The two groups take from retailers; in any case, the strategies that can be used to forestall theft differ for each group.
All retailers, small and big, are affected by shoplifters, and it's a baffling reality of doing retail business. Things such as a good store plan and theft-prevention techniques, for example, surveillance cameras and alerts can help reduce misfortunes. A majority of professional shoplifters work in groups of at least two and learn how to exploit busy stores amid top hours, or they may hit on occasion when workers are less cautious, for example, shift changes, closing and opening(Paradis, 1995). Items are disguised in the attire of the shoplifter, in umbrellas, handbags, strollers or even inside purchased goods. Audacious shoplifters may grab merchandise and run out fast.
Conclusion
There were sufficient evidence and witness to testify on the case, as such, there was no reasonable doubt that the three defendants committed the crime. The charges are based on Georgia theft statute which explicitly defines the act of shoplifting and provides for the various charges and penalties for such crimes. As such, the fine of $1500 and jail time of 2 years for Bubba Hurt and the fine of $100 and a jail term of 18 months for the two other defendants adequately serve the purpose of prosecution.
References
2010 Georgia Code :: TITLE 16 - CRIMES AND OFFENSES :: CHAPTER 8 - OFFENSES INVOLVING THEFT :: ARTICLE 1 - THEFT :: § 16-8-14 - Theft by shoplifting. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-16/chapter-8/article-1/16-8-14/
2011, C. (n.d.). Section 16-8-14. Theft by shoplifting, Article 1. THEFT, Chapter 8. OFFENSES INVOLVING THEFT, Title 16. CRIMES AND OFFENSES, GEORGIA CODE. Retrieved from http://ga.elaws.us/law/section16-8-14
Caught Shoplifting in GA - 37$ - First Offense. (2009, November 16). Retrieved from https://www.thelaw.com/threads/caught-shoplifting-in-ga-37-first-offense.48403/
Holmes, T. (2017). Professional Criminals and White-Collar Crime in Popular Culture. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.215
Paradis, J. D. (1995). Criminal behavior systems: A typology, third edition. Journal of Criminal Justice, 23(4), 389. doi:10.1016/0047-2352(95)90035-7
Your Guide to Shoplifting Charges in Georgia. (2014, 18). Retrieved from http://www.zwdefense.com/blog/2014/june/your-guide-to-shoplifting-charges-in-georgia/
