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H.B. 44

             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      Committee Note:
             9          The Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Interim Committee
             10      recommended this bill.
             11      General Description:
             12          This bill modifies the Criminal Code by enhancing the penalty for multiple theft
             13      offenses.
             14      Highlighted Provisions:
             15          This bill:
             16          .    enhances the penalty for an individual who returns and commits retail theft again at
             17      a property where the individual has previously been prohibited from returning;
             18          .    amends the penalty for theft offenses if the defendant has committed two prior theft
             19      offenses within the prior 10 years;
             20          .    authorizes a merchant to prohibit an individual who has committed retail theft from
             21      reentering the property on which the individual committed retail theft; and
             22          .    specifies how a merchant may give written notice prohibiting an individual who has
             23      previously committed retail theft from reentering the property.
             24      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             25          None
             26      Other Special Clauses:
             27          None


             28      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             29      AMENDS:
             30          76-6-412, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 193
             31          78B-3-108, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 3
             32     
             33      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             34          Section 1. Section 76-6-412 is amended to read:
             35           76-6-412. Theft -- Classification of offenses -- Action for treble damages.
             36          (1) Theft of property and services as provided in this chapter is punishable:
             37          (a) as a second degree felony if the:
             38          (i) value of the property or services is or exceeds $5,000;
             39          (ii) property stolen is a firearm or an operable motor vehicle;
             40          (iii) actor is armed with a dangerous weapon, as defined in Section 76-1-601 , at the
             41      time of the theft; [or]
             42          (iv) property is stolen from the person of another;
             43          (v) the value of the property or services is or exceeds $1,500 but is less than $5,000
             44      and the actor has been twice before convicted of any of the offenses listed in Subsection (2), if
             45      each prior offense was committed within 10 years of the date of the current conviction or the
             46      date of the offense upon which the current conviction is based; or
             47          (vi) (A) the value of property or services is equal to or exceeds $1,500;
             48          (B) the theft occurs on a property where the offender has committed retail theft within
             49      the past five years; and
             50          (C) the offender has received written notice from the merchant prohibiting the offender
             51      from entering the property pursuant to Section 78B-3-108 ; or
             52          (b) as a third degree felony if:
             53          (i) the value of the property or services is or exceeds $1,500 but is less than $5,000 and
             54      the theft is not an offense under Subsection (1)(a)(v);
             55          [(ii) the actor has been twice before convicted of any of the offenses listed in this
             56      Subsection (1)(b)(ii), if each prior offense was committed within 10 years of the date of the
             57      current conviction or the date of the offense upon which the current conviction is based:]
             58          [(A) theft, any robbery, or any burglary with intent to commit theft;]


             59          [(B) any offense under Title 76, Chapter 6, Part 5, Fraud; or]
             60          [(C) any attempt to commit any offense under Subsection (1)(b)(ii)(A) or (B).]
             61          [(iii)] (ii) in a case not amounting to a second-degree felony, the property taken is a
             62      stallion, mare, colt, gelding, cow, heifer, steer, ox, bull, calf, sheep, goat, mule, jack, jenny,
             63      swine, poultry, or a fur-bearing animal raised for commercial purposes;
             64          (iii) the value of the property or services is or exceeds $500 but is less than $1,500, and
             65      the actor has been convicted previously two or more times of any of the offenses listed in
             66      Subsection (2), if each prior offense was committed within 10 years of the date of the current
             67      conviction or the date of the offense upon which the current conviction is based; or
             68          (iv) (A) the value of property or services is or exceeds $500 but is less than $1,500;
             69          (B) the theft occurs on a property where the offender has committed retail theft within
             70      the past five years; and
             71          (C) the offender has received written notice from the merchant prohibiting the offender
             72      from entering the property pursuant to Section 78B-3-108 ; or
             73          (c) as a class A misdemeanor if:
             74          (i) the value of the property stolen is or exceeds $500 but is less than $1,500; [or]
             75          (ii) the value of the property or services is less than $500 and the actor has been
             76      convicted previously two or more times of any of the offenses listed in Subsection (2), if each
             77      prior offense was committed within 10 years of the date of the current conviction or the date of
             78      the offense upon which the current conviction is based; or
             79          (iii) (A) the value of property or services is less than $500;
             80          (B) the theft occurs on a property where the offender has committed retail theft within
             81      the past five years; and
             82          (C) the offender has received written notice from the merchant prohibiting the offender
             83      from entering the property pursuant to Section 78B-3-108 ; or
             84          (d) as a class B misdemeanor if the value of the property stolen is less than $500.
             85          (2) The offenses referred to in Subsections (1)(a), (b), and (c) are:
             86          (a) theft, retail theft as defined in Section 76-6-602, any robbery, or any burglary with
             87      intent to commit theft;
             88          (b) any offense under Part 5, Fraud; or
             89          (c) any attempt to commit any offense listed under this Subsection (2).


             90          [(2)] (3) Any [person] individual who violates Subsection 76-6-408 (1) or Section
             91      76-6-413 , or commits theft of property described in Subsection [ 76-6-412 ](1)(b)[(iii)](ii), is
             92      civilly liable for three times the amount of actual damages, if any are sustained by the plaintiff,
             93      and for costs of suit and reasonable attorney fees.
             94          Section 2. Section 78B-3-108 is amended to read:
             95           78B-3-108. Shoplifting -- Merchant's rights -- Civil liability for shoplifting by
             96      adult or minor -- Criminal conviction not a prerequisite for civil liability -- Written notice
             97      required for penalty demand.
             98          (1) As used in this section:
             99          (a) "Merchandise" has the same meaning as provided in Section 76-6-601 .
             100          (b) "Merchant" has the same meaning as provided in Section 76-6-601 .
             101          (c) "Minor" has the same meaning as provided in Section 76-6-601 .
             102          (d) "Premises" has the same meaning as "retail mercantile establishment" found in
             103      Section 76-6-601 .
             104          (e) ["Wrongful taking of merchandise"] "Retail theft" has the same meaning [as "retail
             105      theft"] as described in Section 76-6-602 .
             106          (2) A merchant may request an individual on [his] the merchant's premises to place or
             107      keep in full view any merchandise the individual may have removed, or which the merchant
             108      has reason to believe the individual may have removed, from its place of display or elsewhere,
             109      whether for examination, purchase, or for any other reasonable purpose. The merchant may not
             110      be criminally or civilly liable for having made the request.
             111          (3) A merchant who has reason to believe that [merchandise has been wrongfully taken
             112      by an individual] an individual has committed retail theft and that the merchant can recover the
             113      merchandise by taking the individual into custody and detaining the individual may, for the
             114      purpose of attempting to recover the merchandise or for the purpose of informing a peace
             115      officer of the circumstances of the detention, take the individual into custody and detain the
             116      individual in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable length of time. Neither the merchant
             117      nor the merchant's employee may be criminally or civilly liable for false arrest, false
             118      imprisonment, slander, or unlawful detention or for any other type of claim or action unless the
             119      custody and detention are unreasonable under all the circumstances.
             120          (4) (a) A merchant may prohibit an individual who has committed retail theft from


             121      reentering the premises from which the individual has committed retail theft.
             122          (b) The merchant shall give written notice of this prohibition to the individual under
             123      Subsection (4)(a). The notice may be served by:
             124          (i) delivering a copy to the individual personally;
             125          (ii) sending a copy through registered or certified mail addressed to the individual at
             126      the individual's residence or usual place of business;
             127          (iii) leaving a copy with an individual of suitable age and discretion at either location
             128      under Subsection (4)(b)(ii) and mailing a copy to the individual at the individual's residence or
             129      place of business if the individual is absent from the residence or usual place of business; or
             130          (iv) affixing a copy in a conspicuous place at the individual's residence or place of
             131      business.
             132          (c) The individual serving the notice may authenticate service with the individual's
             133      signature, the method of service, and legibly documenting the date and time of service.
             134          [(4)] (5) An adult who [wrongfully takes merchandise] commits retail theft is liable in
             135      a civil action[, in addition to] for:
             136          (a) actual damages[, for];
             137          (b) a penalty to the merchant in the amount of the retail price of the merchandise not to
             138      exceed $1,000, plus an additional penalty as determined by the court of not less than $100 nor
             139      more than $500[, plus]; and
             140          (c) court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
             141          [(5)] (6) A minor who [wrongfully takes merchandise] commits retail theft and the
             142      minor's parents or legal guardian are jointly and severally liable in a civil action to the
             143      merchant for:
             144          (a) actual damages;
             145          (b) a penalty to be remitted to the merchant in the amount of the retail price of the
             146      merchandise not to exceed $500 plus an additional penalty as determined by the court of not
             147      less than $50 nor more than $500; and
             148          (c) court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
             149          [(6)] (7) A parent or guardian is not liable for damages under this section if the parent
             150      or guardian made a reasonable effort to restrain the wrongful taking and reported it to the
             151      merchant involved or to the law enforcement agency having primary jurisdiction once the


             152      parent or guardian knew of the minor's unlawful act. A report is not required under this section
             153      if the minor was arrested or apprehended by a peace officer or by anyone acting on behalf of
             154      the merchant involved.
             155          [(7)] (8) A conviction in a criminal action of [shoplifting] retail theft is not a condition
             156      precedent to a civil action authorized under Subsection [(4) or] (5) or (6).
             157          [(8)] (9) (a) A merchant demanding payment of a penalty under Subsection [(4) or] (5)
             158      or (6) shall give written notice to the person or persons from whom the penalty is sought. The
             159      notice shall state:
             160          "IMPORTANT NOTICE: The payment of any penalty demanded of you does not
             161      prevent criminal prosecution under a related criminal provision."
             162          (b) This notice shall be boldly and conspicuously displayed, in at least the same size
             163      type as is used in the demand, and shall be sent with the demand for payment of the penalty
             164      described in Subsection [(4) or] (5) or (6).
             165          [(9)] (10) The provision of Section 78B-8-201 requiring that compensatory or general
             166      damages be awarded in order to award punitive damages does not prohibit an award of a
             167      penalty under Subsection [(4) or (5)] (6) or (7) whether or not restitution has been paid to the
             168      merchant either prior to or as part of a civil action.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 11-21-11 6:49 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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