Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 20:48:11 -0400
Reply-To: "Horace K. Sawyer" <firestream@mindspring.com>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Horace K. Sawyer" <firestream@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Wal-Mart parking -- HK's theft case
In-Reply-To: <v0422080db72a14922a84@[207.23.94.162]>
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At 05:03 PM 5/17/01 -0700, Tobin Copley wrote:
>At 7:33 PM -0400 5/18/01, Kenneth D Lewis wrote:
>>The key word here is _RV_!!! Watch what happens when a carabus of
>>Wesfalias files in! You will be tailed throughout the store by security
>>like your were a band of marauding gypsies! LADIES hold on to your
>>children!
>
>Sorry, but i don't see the problem. This can be very convenient,
>especially when you turn nonchalantly to a security person, say
>"could you hold this a sec'?", hand them your basket of purchases,
>and just don't ask for it back. They are trained to provide customer
>service, after all.
The thing is, you probably won't see them. Ask me how I know. I have been
court appointed to represent several shoplifters from the local
Walmart. One went to a jury trial last fall. The security personnel took
the stand and testified with an amazing level of comfort. They are highly
trained to detect and apprehend, and make a case that will stick. They
LIVE to go to court and take the stand. I could not shake this girl. A 19
year old kid. Now, a Walmart security officer. She was beaming from ear
to ear. Fresh faced, pony tail, just happy as a lark while joyfully --
almost musically -- describing how this alleged shoplifter came in the
store, looked suspicious, and so she followed him. He was good, so she
couldn't see everything, but she just knew he was up to something. When he
gets up to the check out, he has grocery cart full of all kinds of
stuff. Clerk starts running them through. A $69 item scans for guess how
much? $1.97. What a dumb ass. I mean, get real my brother. Seemed this
prince of a citizen collected thousands of bar codes from Walmart. Then he
conveniently switched bar codes on whatever he wanted. AND THE CASHIERS
FELL FOR THIS!! $1.97!!! How stupid can you get.
Yet, I was winning the damn case until the prosecution introduced "the bag"
into evidence. "The Bag." This bag was found in his car. The car with
his license plate registration, the car with his clothes in it, personal
items, the car that the keys in his pocket fit.
I still shudder when I think about it. Oh Lord have mercy! I winced, and
wanted to bang my head on the table in anguish and humiliation as the city
detective poured out the contents right in front of the curious
jurors. Thousands, literally, and not exaggerating, thousands of bar codes
on peel-off labels. Rolls of them. Every kind and description. Copies of
them. Some covered in clear plastic tape. Some original from the
item. And implements to remove alarm devices, staplers, tape, plastic ties
that go through garments to tag them, and the gun that shoots the plastic
-- you name it. It was like the guy had worked in the back of Walmart and
just helped himself to all the merchandising equipment. How could this
idiot do this to me?? He claimed, "Mr. Sawyer, I don't know what they be
talkin bout. My wife wuz in there, and she could have done something, I
don't know." This prince of guy was willing to throw his own wife to do
dogs. Oh, he just knew absolutely nothing about it. Of course, I had
advised him to tell me the truth so I would know what to expect. He told
the truth allright.
I cringed, I wanted to slink under the table as far as I could. I wanted
to get up and say, Okay Judge, Your Honor, Your Excellency, Your Imminency,
Your Highness, uhh, hey, my wife just called, and I, uh, gotta run.
Ciao. Be seeing you. Later. Bye.
Instead I had to fight to create objections to the damning evidence that
were doomed to be denied.
He was found guilty. Ruined my win/loss record. I had 10 straight
acquittals in a row. Eleven would have been nice. But no.
Anyway, Walmart takes theft very seriously. Don't mess with them.
hk
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