What are Californias laws on concealment in context of shoplifting?
A word of caution regarding the other answer: If they think you entered with the intent to steal (either because of your actions or because of the number of times you’ve done this), you could be looking at burglary charges. Second degree (commercial) burglary is a “wobbler” and can be either a felony or a misdemeanor. The statute of limitations on a felony such as this is three years, not just the one year on a misdemeanor. Should any subsequent contact result in criminal charges, I think they’d have a very difficult time proving theft without actually proving you left with items that you didn’t pay for. The law on concealment you’re asking about – theft is the taking and carrying away of property without consent and with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of their property. The physical part requires taking (control gained over property) and movement (any movement, no matter how slight). There is no requirement that the property be concealed. Concealing an item may go toward
