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I Got a Civil Relief Action Letter for Shoplifting. Should I Pay It?

September 11, 2018 Leave a Comment

Retailers are increasingly aggressive in sending out “civil relief”, “civil recovery” or “civil demand” letters to anyone they accuse of or catch shoplifting in their stores. The bigger chains send out these threatening letters all the time, either from their own loss prevention departments or via outside law firms to whom they outsource these collection efforts.

These letters are aggressive, scary, and threatening.  Often if you ignore the first letter, they will send you increasingly insistent letters, and quite likely increase the amount of the civil relief they want you to pay.

I tell my clients not to pay them, and I’ll go through the reasons why in a moment.  You can ignore these letters, or if you hire us to represent you on a criminal charge, we can write them a letter on your behalf telling them to stop bothering you.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: shoplifting

No charge issued at Clerk Magistrates Hearing. Was it special treatment?

March 16, 2018 Leave a Comment

Police chief hingham shoplifting clerk magistrates hearing


A news story reported by WCVB Channel 5 suggests that a finding of no criminal charge at a clerk Magistrate’s hearing in Highham is suspicious, and suggested a special deal. There is store video of a husband and wife apparently walking out of the Kohl’s in Hingham which a cart full of clothing that they didn’t pay for.

The kicker is that the defendant is Edward Savage, formerly the police chief in Hanson and his wife Christine.

And now, after apparently not meeting the terms of the hearing deal agreed to last July, to write a simple apology letter, the pair is to be arraigned and charged with the crime on April 2nd.

Did a former police chief get a criminal charge against swept under the rug the first time because of who he was? The details are interesting, but the conclusion is: Probably not. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clerk Magistrate's Hearing, shoplifting

When is My Clerk Magistrate’s Hearing Date? What Do I Do Next?

April 21, 2015 Leave a Comment

You received a criminal citation in the mail or in person. You have sent in the uniform citation as required. You mailed it on time.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clerk Magistrate's Hearing, hit and run (leaving the scene), shoplifting

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Criminal Procedures

  • Do I Need a Lawyer for an Arraignment in Massachusetts?
  • How to Avoid a Criminal Record – Pretrial Probation vs Pretrial Diversion
  • What To Do While You Are Waiting For a Clerk Magistrate’s Hearing Date
  • I Know I Am Guilty. Should I Just Plead Guilty in Court?
  • How Much Does a Criminal Lawyer Cost in Massachusetts?

OUI Charges

  • OUI (First Offense)
  • OUI Second Offense
  • OUI Third Offense (and Greater)
  • OUI Marijuana or Operating Under the Influence of Drugs
  • Massachusetts OUI Penalties: Third, Fourth and Fifth Offenses
  • Worried About Your OUI? Dealing with bad circumstances in OUI cases
  • How To Work Out a DUI Plea Deal in Massachusetts
  • Arrested for Drunk Driving? Taking the Case to Trial

Criminal Charges

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  • Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Personal Injury
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  • Property Damage / Malicious Damage
  • Resisting Arrest
  • Sexual Assault / Rape – Laws and Penalties
  • Suspended License
  • Solicitation – Engaging in Sexual Conduct For a Fee
  • Trespassing
  • Threatening to Commit a Crime
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