Section 6-5-270 Legislative findings. The Legislature finds that shoplifting and employee theft have reached near epidemic proportions and that efforts to control these criminal offenses through traditional methods have proven unsuccessful and costly to both the general public and to business. The existing criminal justice system is overcrowded and burdened thereby causing unreasonable delay. Continual […]
Section 6-5-271 Liability for theft or attempted theft; liability of parents of unemancipated minor; liability for defrauding an eating establishment; liability of foster home. (a) An adult or emancipated minor who commits or attempts to commit a theft of property consisting of goods for sale on the premises of a merchant in violation of Sections […]
Section 6-5-272 Conviction or plea of guilty not prerequisite to suit; letter of demand for remittance. (a) A conviction or a plea of guilty to the criminal offense of theft of property as defined in Title 13A, Chapter 8, is not a prerequisite to the bringing of a civil suit, obtaining a judgment, or collecting […]
Section 6-5-273 Jurisdiction of courts. An action for recovery of damages and penalties under this article may be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction, including the small claims division of a district court in the county where the merchant is located, if the person or the parent or legal guardian of the unemancipated minor […]
Section 6-5-274 Attorney’s fees. No attorney’s fees shall be charged or collected unless a civil action has been filed under the provisions of this article. (Acts 1993, No. 93-676, §5.)
Section 6-5-275 Construction of article. This article shall not be construed to prohibit or limit any other course of action which a merchant may have against a person who unlawfully takes merchandise from the merchant’s premises. Enforcement of this article is not a violation of Section 13A-10-7. (Acts 1993, No. 93-676, §6.)
