Friday, February 22, 2008

"Civil Recovery" Is Not Civil

"Civil Recovery" refers to state laws that allow retailers to dun people accused of shoplifting. I said 'accused', not convicted. As you would expect, there are law firms that specialize in this practice. One, Palmer Reifler, sends out 1,200,000 letters a year demanding civil recovery. The letters threaten suit unless payment is made immediately. How many are actually sued? Less than ten a year.

The demands are not governed by any relation to the value of the amount supposedly stolen. Nor are the firms reluctant to make demands of those whom the police have declared to be innocent.

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