Shoplifting, Larceny, Robbery, Theft confused

[hiedi1818]

I was recently accused of shoplifting by a national chain store (i will not stoop to there level and name them). The owner/manager valled the police and informed them that they had a shoplifter(me) but when the police arrived at the store they came in amd grabbed me by both my arms and then asked me if i had stolen anything. I then told them that i hade nothing and i didnt know what they were talking about. I was looking at items in the store and reading the labels and while i was doing this i alsogot in my purse and looked at my phone to see who was calling(the phone was on vibrate) i guess then the manager automatically assumed that i was taken items from the store the store. When the police seached me in the middle of the store in front of everyone and found nothing. Then they grabbed my purse and started to go through it, whenb they did no items from the store were found because i did not take anything! However they did find a bottle of prescription pain medicines that were in my name and a valium tht belongs to my boyfriend. Then upon further searching they foound a small bag that had resadue of cocain that was in there i was unaware of that and truly had no idea how it got there. They then arrested me on charges of posession of cocaine and narcotics. Keep in mind all this happened in the middle of the store and i was bein harassed for shoplifting items. I gave then no consent toosearch anything and even if i had an item in my purse do i not have the right to have a chance to pay for it before i leave the store i had not even got close to the checkout lines. Two days later my name was announced on thelocal radio and the local paaper as someone that had been arrested for shop;ifting and drug posession. My question is do i not have the right to pay for a item if it were in my posession which there was no item from the stgore on me anywhere. I was merely checking my phone. By the way when i was bookled and arrested there was nocharges for shoplifting and the arrest report stated that there were no items in my possession from the store because i never stole anything. I have no proir record at all and have two college degrees and now i will never work in the town ilove again. DID THEY SEARCH ME ILLEGALLY OR NOT, I THOUGHT I HAD A CHANCE TO PAY FOR THE ITEMS I DID NOT HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!!! Sorry so long just scared to death i have lost my entire career.

 

[thelawjournal]

You wouldnt be able to name store if you wanted to. We do not allow naming stores for everyone protection. Since you were not charged with shoplifting your concerns over the theft do not mean much. Depending on state laws the search was likely legal as well.

 

[NormanJr]

This was not an illegal search. They had information that you may possibly be shoplifting and they acted on it. All the police need is probable cause to stop, identify and search you.