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             1     

THEFT AMENDMENTS

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Paul Ray

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Lyle W. Hillyard

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies the Criminal Code regarding multiple theft offenses.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    enhances the penalty for an individual who returns and commits theft again at a
             13      property where the individual has previously been prohibited from returning;
             14          .    amends the penalty for theft offenses if the defendant has committed two prior theft
             15      offenses within the prior five years;
             16          .    authorizes a merchant to prohibit an individual who has committed retail theft from
             17      reentering the property on which the individual committed theft; and
             18          .    specifies how a merchant may give written notice prohibiting an individual who has
             19      previously committed retail theft from reentering the property.
             20      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          None
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      AMENDS:
             26          76-6-412, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 193
             27          78B-3-108, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 3
             28     
             29      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:


             30          Section 1. Section 76-6-412 is amended to read:
             31           76-6-412. Theft -- Classification of offenses -- Action for treble damages.
             32          (1) Theft of property and services as provided in this chapter is punishable:
             33          (a) as a second degree felony if the:
             34          (i) value of the property or services is or exceeds $5,000;
             35          (ii) property stolen is a firearm or an operable motor vehicle;
             36          (iii) actor is armed with a dangerous weapon, as defined in Section 76-1-601 , at the
             37      time of the theft; or
             38          (iv) property is stolen from the person of another;
             39          (b) as a third degree felony if:
             40          (i) the value of the property or services is or exceeds $1,500 but is less than $5,000;
             41          (ii) the actor has been twice before convicted of any of the offenses listed in this
             42      Subsection (1)(b)(ii), if each prior offense was committed within 10 years of the date of the
             43      current conviction or the date of the offense upon which the current conviction is based:
             44          (A) any theft, any robbery, or any burglary with intent to commit theft;
             45          (B) any offense under Title 76, Chapter 6, Part 5, Fraud; or
             46          (C) any attempt to commit any offense under Subsection (1)(b)(ii)(A) or (B).
             47          (iii) in a case not amounting to a second-degree felony, the property taken is a stallion,
             48      mare, colt, gelding, cow, heifer, steer, ox, bull, calf, sheep, goat, mule, jack, jenny, swine,
             49      poultry, or a fur-bearing animal raised for commercial purposes;
             50          (iv) (A) the value of property or services is or exceeds $500 but is less than $1,500;
             51          (B) the theft occurs on a property where the offender has committed any theft within
             52      the past five years; and
             53          (C) the offender has received written notice from the merchant prohibiting the offender
             54      from entering the property pursuant to Section 78B-3-108 ; or
             55          (c) as a class A misdemeanor if:
             56          (i) the value of the property stolen is or exceeds $500 but is less than $1,500; [or]
             57          (ii) (A) the value of property or services is less than $500;


             58          (B) the theft occurs on a property where the offender has committed any theft within
             59      the past five years; and
             60          (C) the offender has received written notice from the merchant prohibiting the offender
             61      from entering the property pursuant to Section 78B-3-108 ; or
             62          (d) as a class B misdemeanor if the value of the property stolen is less than $500 and
             63      the theft is not an offense under Subsection (1)(c).
             64          (2) Any [person] individual who violates Subsection 76-6-408 (1) or Section 76-6-413 ,
             65      or commits theft of property described in Subsection 76-6-412 (1)(b)(iii), is civilly liable for
             66      three times the amount of actual damages, if any sustained by the plaintiff, and for costs of suit
             67      and reasonable attorney fees.
             68          Section 2. Section 78B-3-108 is amended to read:
             69           78B-3-108. Shoplifting -- Merchant's rights -- Civil liability for shoplifting by
             70      adult or minor -- Criminal conviction not a prerequisite for civil liability -- Written notice
             71      required for penalty demand.
             72          (1) As used in this section:
             73          (a) "Merchandise" has the same meaning as provided in Section 76-6-601 .
             74          (b) "Merchant" has the same meaning as provided in Section 76-6-601 .
             75          (c) "Minor" has the same meaning as provided in Section 76-6-601 .
             76          (d) "Premises" has the same meaning as "retail mercantile establishment" found in
             77      Section 76-6-601 .
             78          [(e) "Wrongful taking of merchandise" has the same meaning as "retail theft" as
             79      described in Section 76-6-602 .]
             80          (2) A merchant may request an individual on [his] the merchant's premises to place or
             81      keep in full view any merchandise the individual may have removed, or which the merchant
             82      has reason to believe the individual may have removed, from its place of display or elsewhere,
             83      whether for examination, purchase, or for any other reasonable purpose. The merchant may not
             84      be criminally or civilly liable for having made the request.
             85          (3) A merchant who has reason to believe that [merchandise has been wrongfully taken


             86      by] an individual has committed any of the offenses listed in Subsection 76-6-412 (1)(b)(ii)(A),
             87      (B), or (C) and that the merchant can recover the merchandise by taking the individual into
             88      custody and detaining the individual may, for the purpose of attempting to recover the
             89      merchandise or for the purpose of informing a peace officer of the circumstances of the
             90      detention, take the individual into custody and detain the individual in a reasonable manner and
             91      for a reasonable length of time. Neither the merchant nor the merchant's employee may be
             92      criminally or civilly liable for false arrest, false imprisonment, slander, or unlawful detention or
             93      for any other type of claim or action unless the custody and detention are unreasonable under
             94      all the circumstances.
             95          (4) (a) A merchant may prohibit an individual who has committed any of the offenses
             96      listed in Subsection 76-6-412 (1)(b)(ii) from reentering the premises on which the individual
             97      has committed the offense.
             98          (b) The merchant shall give written notice of this prohibition to the individual under
             99      Subsection (4)(a). The notice may be served by:
             100          (i) delivering a copy to the individual personally;
             101          (ii) sending a copy through registered or certified mail addressed to the individual at
             102      the individual's residence or usual place of business;
             103          (iii) leaving a copy with an individual of suitable age and discretion at either location
             104      under Subsection (4)(b)(ii) and mailing a copy to the individual at the individual's residence or
             105      place of business if the individual is absent from the residence or usual place of business; or
             106          (iv) affixing a copy in a conspicuous place at the individual's residence or place of
             107      business.
             108          (c) The individual serving the notice may authenticate service with the individual's
             109      signature, the method of service, and legibly documenting the date and time of service.
             110          [(4)] (5) An adult who [wrongfully takes merchandise] commits any of the offenses
             111      listed in Subsection 76-6-412 (1)(b)(ii)(A), (B), or (C) is also liable in a civil action[, in
             112      addition to] for:
             113          (a) actual damages[, for];


             114          (b) a penalty to the merchant in the amount of the retail price of the merchandise not to
             115      exceed $1,000[, plus]; and
             116          (c) an additional penalty as determined by the court of not less than $100 nor more than
             117      $500, plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
             118          [(5)] (6) A minor who [wrongfully takes merchandise] commits any of the offenses
             119      listed in Subsection 76-6-412 (1)(b)(ii)(A), (B), or (C) and the minor's parents or legal guardian
             120      are jointly and severally liable in a civil action to the merchant for:
             121          (a) actual damages;
             122          (b) a penalty to be remitted to the merchant in the amount of the retail price of the
             123      merchandise not to exceed $500 plus an additional penalty as determined by the court of not
             124      less than $50 nor more than $500; and
             125          (c) court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
             126          [(6)] (7) A parent or guardian is not liable for damages under this section if the parent
             127      or guardian made a reasonable effort to restrain the wrongful taking and reported it to the
             128      merchant involved or to the law enforcement agency having primary jurisdiction once the
             129      parent or guardian knew of the minor's unlawful act. A report is not required under this section
             130      if the minor was arrested or apprehended by a peace officer or by anyone acting on behalf of
             131      the merchant involved.
             132          [(7)] (8) A conviction in a criminal action [of shoplifting] for any of the offenses listed
             133      in Subsection 76-6-412 (1)(b)(ii)(A), (B), or (C) is not a condition precedent to a civil action
             134      authorized under Subsection [(4) or] (5) or (6).
             135          [(8)] (9) (a) A merchant demanding payment of a penalty under Subsection [(4) or] (5)
             136      or (6) shall give written notice to the [person or persons] individual or individuals from whom
             137      the penalty is sought. The notice shall state:
             138          "IMPORTANT NOTICE: The payment of any penalty demanded of you does not
             139      prevent criminal prosecution under a related criminal provision."
             140          (b) This notice shall be boldly and conspicuously displayed, in at least the same size
             141      type as is used in the demand, and shall be sent with the demand for payment of the penalty


             142      described in Subsection [(4) or] (5) or (6).
             143          [(9)] (10) The provision of Section 78B-8-201 requiring that compensatory or general
             144      damages be awarded in order to award punitive damages does not prohibit an award of a
             145      penalty under Subsection [(4) or] (5) or (6) whether or not restitution has been paid to the
             146      merchant either prior to or as part of a civil action.


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