Can two misdemeanors of shoplifting turn into a felony?
That depends on the jurisdiction. In some places, like the state of Washington, some kinds of misdemeanors become a felony upon the third conviction. Oh, I see you’re IN the state of Washington. So, then I’ll have to say that no, unless the RCWs have changed since I last read them, or unless some subdivisional jurisdiction has made it a two-strike rule, that it is only upon the conviction of the THIRD of the same kind of misdemeanor that it becomes a felony. It has notthing to do with arrests, only convictions. BTW, Bipolar Disorder is NOT a very good defense for something like shoplifting. Even as a misdemeanor, however, it could easily turn into jail time and heavy fines.
