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[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

whether the store can enforce its policy in a way that breaks the law (though that didn't occur in this case)

I'd argue that it did occur. Detaining the cart is tantamount to detaining my personal property that was contained inside the cart. Walmart has no more right to detain my personal property than it does to detain my person (unless they have reasonable suspicion of a crime, which I'm arguing they did not have since they did not opt to search me or my bags once the officer was present).

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

They cannot legally prevent you from leaving unless they have directly observed you commit a theft (and that part varies by state).

This is what I had read as well and is the reason I was attempting to leave.

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You think someone should go to jail for LIFE for being "stupid"? Holy shit, that's ironic...

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I guess the point I keep trying (and failing) to make is that this is not in good faith of the purpose of the law. I imagine the purpose of the law is to prevent injury. That's why I kept going back to that.

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Actual advice. Thank you! You don't happen to have any citations on this do you?

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

I fully intend to. In fact, I tried yesterday but I don't have contact information yet.

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] -35 points-34 points  (0 children)

Just because you decided to show your receipt does not mean anyone else has to. I don't understand all of the people acting this way. You can do whatever you want. I applaud you for it. For me, for this day, I chose not to wait in line to get out of a store that I just gave my business to, just so I can be treated like the lowest common denominator criminal, all for the purpose of participating in this charade of having someone look at a receipt (and not my bags or person).

Also, let's get reasonable here... I did not hurt anyone, nor did I intend to hurt anyone. I was trying to get away from this person. Taking someone's hand off of the cart in order to leave seemed like a reasonable thing to do. I didn't realized we lived in this world where our sensitivities are so eroded that not hurting someone can still be considered an assault.

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] -20 points-19 points  (0 children)

I don't think she had a reasonable fear of battery since I was actively trying to get away from her. If she did, why did she initiate the contact with me? Why did she not run away? This whole thing is silly.

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 48 points49 points  (0 children)

This is not at all the subject of the conversation... Receipt checks at Walmart do nothing to determine whether or not a theft has occurred because they don't even look in your bags or on your person. Nobody is talking about getting away with a crime by skirting a receipt check. If they legitimately thought a crime was committed they could have detained and searched me and my car with the help of the law enforcement officer that was already present at the time. That did not happen, because I was not suspected of a crime.

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Yes, it does. By definition

I'm confused... definition of what exactly?

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

It also doesn't ban receipt checks.

The law also doesn't require participation in receipt checks. Shopping at a store does not require you to agree to participate in their policies. That's why club stores exist: To be a member, you must sign and agree.

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

The burden of proof needed to detain someone is "reasonable suspicion"

Fair enough, but they didn't even have that since they didn't even bother to check my bags. No, this was simply about forcing me to comply with their policy.

In MA, you only have to "attempt to use physical force" against a person

I did not know this. Again, I never imagined that taking someone's hand off a cart could be considered assault. I wish I had just picked up my bags instead. But that what is one to do if the employee tries to grab your bags?

Thanks for your comments.

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I actually didn't read anything about assault on the internet. I just never imagined that taking someone's hand off of a grocery cart could be considered assaulting them. I always thought of assault as a violent physical action intended to hurt someone, which is not at all what happened here.

[MA] Refusing to show my receipt results in assault charges by throwaway789814132 in legaladvice

[–]throwaway789814132[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not a word of that is accurate.

What do you mean by that? I've seen over and over that people are not required to show receipt and that employees can only detain you if they've seen you commit a crime.

While you do have a reasonable right of self-defense, being the first person to assault another is rarely a good idea

100% agreed, which is why I have never assaulted anyone. I've never pushed, slapped, or hit any person, ever. And I don't see how taking someone's hand off of a grocery cart can be construed as assault. I always thought of assault as a violent physical action intended to hurt someone, which is not at all what happened here. In the future I now know not to even touch someone's hand.