Prolancia Aquila Turner, 26, seems to have come up with a novel claim of discrimination or police abuse. After being arrested for stealing from a jeweler in a Florida mall, Turner angrily objected to the police that “Everyone steals from this store. Why are you picking on me?” In the meantime in California, the reduction of shoplifting penalties are being blamed for an increase in the crime as criminals treat short sentences as a minor cost-of-doing business (or in this case, not doing business).
Turner is accused of hiding earrings valued at $12.50 in the waistband of her pants. She is now charged with retail theft for pilfering the merchandise from a Claire’s outlet in a Vero Beach mall. Her novel defense is not likely to garner such support from the court. She has reportedly two prior arrests for theft in 2015.
In California, critics are arguing that there is a direct correlation between the reduction of penalties for shoplifting and an increase in the crime, though some have questioned the causal relationship. Under the new law, anything below $950 keeps the crime a misdemeanor. Since many police departments do not seriously pursue misdemeanors, that means that shoplifting up to a grand is unlikely to be enforced and, even if caught red-handed, would receive a citation or relatively light punishment. Some stores have reported that known shoplifters have reportedly been seen using calculators to keep below the $950 threshold created by Proposition 47.
My “everybody does it” excuse didn’t work because my mother would respond, “Who’s everybody? Tell me their names.” And, of course, it was never “everybody.” At most, one or two other kids. So I stopped bothering with that excuse.
For those of you confused enough to believe that the “jeweler”–as JT describes it–can somehow tolerate or absorb the seemingly infinitesimal theft of a pair of earrings, valued at $12.50, think again. The title of “jeweler” is misleading. This is not a Zales. Claire’s is far from being considered a mall “jeweler”–where the establishment carries an assortment of other higher priced items, costing hundreds or thousands of dollars which, one might suggest, could easily offset this relatively minor loss. Not so with Claire’s. I think that it’s an important distinction when reading a story, such as this particular one, to understand from whom the theft of $12.50 allegedly occurred. Claire’s, which is popular with the preteen and teenage set, ONLY carries costume jewelry and assorted accessories valued at approximately $20.00 or below. A loss of a pair of earrings, valued at $12.50, at an establishment which bases its survival on selling such low-priced wares, is significant–earrings, priced at $12.50 and below, are the store’s bread and butter.
When I pass Claire’s–a store which is located in practically every mall in my area–the tiny shops are usually packed with preteen and teenage girls, busily rifling through the stacks of earrings and necklaces, with little to no supervision or surveillance by the one or two young and disinterested employees manning the place. No wonder it’s known as the place where everyone shoplifts.
“People treat me as inferior because of my physical features ”
People treat you as inferior because of your inferior behaviors.
Your looks are a just an excuse for your inferior character.
“therefore I don’t care any more about them than they care about me.”
No one cares about me, either.
Why should they?
People generally care about themselves.
That’s the way the world works and has always worked.
Your poor impulse control and thieving ways damage you, but they also reinforce the stereotypes you complain about.
That is, it’s your fault people view you with suspicion and treat you like a criminal, and you prove them right by doing crimes, and then complaining about it.
“This young girl has the attitude of I want it so I’ll take it.”
Or possibly the attitude of, “People treat me as inferior because of my physical features and that will never change; therefore I don’t care any more about them than they care about me.
“many police departments do not seriously pursue misdemeanors,”
There’s your problem right there.
Prof. Turley writes, “[In] California, the reduction of shoplifting penalties are being blamed for an increase in the crime as criminals treat short sentences as a minor cost-of-doing business (or in this case, not doing business).”
The other side of this coin is that things are so bad for the defendant’s class in general that petty theft is worth the risk of short sentences.
A lot of this is drug-related, another factoid dismissed as an individual’s personal problem when it is a public socio-economic and health issue.
I remember a hostile witness in a domestic violence case a few years back, who admitted to, IIRC, seven felony and misdemeanor theft convictions which were drug-related. He served little time, and all – every last one of his convictions – was expunged. Not that I agree with that result, but he was employed at the time he gave testimony, he had a wife and child, he appeared very stable and sober, and he turned out to be a very good witness by appearances for the opposing party. I was worried I would not be able to impeach him for his criminal record, but in the end the judge summarily discounted his testimony based on his record. I guess the point is that I’m on the fence with regard to this issue. This guy seemed to turn out pretty well, and he definitely wouldn’t have had he been incarcerated in the California prison system. And no, this guy wasn’t black. He was a WHITE guy.
I confess. There it was. A tasty lollipop. I took it and thought it wasn’t for free. But it was for free.
Shhh! Don’t tell Isaac but in his worldview this is evidence of a progressing culture.
How else is she going to get her money?
PREDICTION 2: After the above, California will double down and blame the stores for being “racists, hoarders and wreckers” for refusing to do business in “certain neighborhoods.”
They will make rules forbidding store closures without city consent, and when that fails, open government -run stores, which will also fail.
But all those Dindu Nuffins won’t have a criminal record to get in the way of success in America.
So, doubleplusgood.
PREDICTION: California’s pro-shoplifting rule will result in “market deserts” and the remaining stores will be built like prisons, be heavily (and illegally) armed and have burly, violent guards. Some will require being a “member” to enter. Prices will increase markedly. The poor will suffer most.
Unexpectedly.
Dindu Nuffin.
The picture says a thousand words. Oh, woa is me! I have been discriminated against! I am in distress!
What the judge should do in court is ask and sing: “Where is your daddy? Where is your ma? I am gonna send you back to Arkansas. Oh, yeah. Tell me whud I say? Annnh, Oohhhh. Oh, ah, ee oh. “
California is insane and their Governor has “the papers to prove it.” The quote belongs to Jimmy Piersall.
It’s an ancient Asian recipe guaranteed to defeat the enemy without firing a shot:
Blend 1000 tons of entitlement with 1,000,000 gallons of crappy parenting.
Stir it well:
Spray it out of a jetliner at high altitude over every city in America.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
What is wrong when people think it is their Constitutional right to shoplift? That is insane.
These perps know how to use a calculator? Oh yeah, for drug deals, I forgot, my bad!
This is an example of a society growing apart. As a child I was taught stealing was wrong. So many of our broken families leave children without the parenting they need. A single working parent just doesn’t have enough time. And the other parent, usually the father, doesn’t have daily contact with their children. Parents need to parent as a team, no matter the reason you are apart. If people don’t want the parental responsibilities, don’t have children. If a man doesn’t want children, go get “snipped” and women should be using birth control medication. This young girl has the attitude of I want it so I’ll take it. That attitude was on TV when looting became part of rioting. We must rely on our educators to teach the basics of being a part of society. We cannot assume the difference between right and wrong has been taught at home.
It’s more honest just to counterfeit the stuff! lol
I would object given that EVERY bank in this county and EVERY person that takes out a loan steals from us by creating money out of thin air. That is an inarguable FACT