Bill > HB642

This bill revises the penalties for shoplifting in Mississippi. It maintains the existing definition of shoplifting as the willful and unlawful taking of merchandise with the intention of converting it for personal use without paying the merchant's stated price. The bill outlines the presumption of intent to shoplift based on certain actions, such as concealing unpurchased merchandise. It sets different penalty levels based on the value of the merchandise stolen, with lower-value shoplifting (less than or equal to $1,000) generally punishable as a misdemeanor and higher-value shoplifting (exceeding $1,000) punishable as a felony. The bill also allows the prosecutor to aggregate the value of merchandise stolen from multiple establishments within 30 days to determine the gravity of the offense.

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http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2017/pdf/history/HB/HB0642.xml