A NEW bill could have teens as young as 15 years old tried as adults if they are caught shoplifting.
Lawmakers in Tennessee are proposing a bill to give judges and prosecutors the option to try minors with felony charges.
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“The DA will petition the court to move this individual to adult court, and that judge will make a ruling, and they will either send that individual to adult court or keep them in the juvenile court system,” said bill sponsor Rep. Rusty Grills.
Theft has become a $100 billion-a-year problem in the United States, prompting the extreme bill – however, not everyone approves of it.
Representative Gloria Johnson believes teens could be rehabilitated.
“We have such good judges in our juvenile courts in Knoxville, I wouldn’t want anyone else to handle a 15 or 16-year-old in this instance,” said Rep. Johnson.
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However, other lawmakers think this is a push the state needs to combat organized retail crime.
“This is not pushing them. This is giving the judges and the DA the opportunity to, if they feel like this crime needs to be charged as an adult, they will be able to do that,” said Rep. Grills.
If the bill becomes a law, teens who work with others to steal at least $1,000 worth of merchandise within 90 days could be tried as adults.
“But it would apply, what I’m hearing you say is, it would apply to the buyer of the merchandise as well,” asked Rep. Joe Towns Jr.
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“If they had knowledge that it was obtained in violation of the law, yes, right,” replied Legal Counsel Michelle Fogerty.
This is not the only bill that state representatives are looking to use to combat theft.
In California, San Bernardino Assembly Member James C. Ramos (D) proposed a “third strike” bill that would see shoplifters jailed for up to three years for retail crime.
If someone is caught after “two or more specified theft-related offenses” they would be charged as a felony, instead of a misdemeanor.
“Shoplifting, smash-and-grab thefts, and other acts of retail theft trends are causing retailers to close their businesses and endangering customers and employees,” Ramos explained in a statement to lawmakers while proposing the bill.
“Since the pandemic, these crimes have increased. That is not the direction California needs to go.“
Many stores around the United States have been grappling with the rising level of theft.
“Retailers are seeing unprecedented levels of theft coupled with rampant crime in their stores, and the situation is only becoming more dire,” said National Retail Federation Vice President for Asset Protection and Retail Operations, David Johnston.
“Far beyond the financial impact of these crimes, the violence and concerns over safety continue to be the priority for all retailers, regardless of size or category.”
https://www.the-sun.com/news/10480575/teens-charges-adults-major-shoplifting-crackdown-problem/