(a) If the appropriate district attorney general consents to use of this section as provided in subsection (i), in lieu of any criminal penalties imposed by § 39-14-105 for theft offenses, any adult or parent or guardian of a minor who willfully takes possession of merchandise from a retail merchant with the intent to convert the merchandise to personal use without paying the purchase price is subject to civil liability, should the merchant prevail, as follows:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 39-14-144

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Emancipated minor: means any minor who is or has been married, or has by court order or otherwise been freed from the care, custody and control of the minor's parents. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Minor: means any person under eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • Person: includes the singular and the plural and means and includes any individual, firm, partnership, copartnership, association, corporation, governmental subdivision or agency, or other organization or other legal entity, or any agent or servant thereof. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Writing: includes printing or any other method of recording information, money, coins, tokens, stamps, seals, credit cards, badges, trademarks, and symbols of value, right, privilege or identification. See Tennessee Code 39-14-114
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) For the adult or emancipated minor:

(A) The greater of one hundred dollars ($100) or an amount three (3) times the listed retail price of the merchandise taken if the merchant does not recover the merchandise;
(B) The greater of one hundred dollars ($100) or an amount three (3) times the difference between the value of the damaged merchandise and the value of the merchandise prior to its conversion if the merchant recovers the merchandise but it is in a damaged state; or
(C) The greater of one hundred dollars ($100) or an amount twice the listed retail price of the merchandise if the merchant recovers the merchandise in the same condition it was in prior to the conversion; or
(2) For the parent or legal guardian having custody of an unemancipated minor who has been negligent in the supervision of the unemancipated minor:

(A) The greater of one hundred dollars ($100) or an amount three (3) times the listed retail price of the merchandise taken if the merchant does not recover the merchandise;
(B) The greater of one hundred dollars ($100) or an amount three (3) times the difference between the value of the damaged merchandise and the value of the merchandise prior to its conversion if the merchant recovers the merchandise but it is in a damaged state; or
(C) The greater of one hundred dollars ($100) or an amount twice the listed retail price of the merchandise if the merchant recovers the merchandise in the same condition it was in prior to the conversion.
(b) Civil liability under this section is not limited by any other law concerning the liability of parents or guardians or minors.
(c) A conviction for the offense of shoplifting is not a prerequisite to the maintenance of a civil action authorized by this section.
(d) The fact that a mercantile establishment may bring an action against an individual as provided in this section shall not limit the right of the establishment to demand, orally or in writing, that a person who is liable for damages and penalties under this section remit the damages prior to the consideration of the commencement of any legal action.
(e) An action for recovery of damages and penalties under this section may be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction, including a court of general sessions, if the total damages do not exceed the jurisdictional limit of the court involved.
(f) If a written agreement is entered into between the merchant and the person responsible for damages and penalties pursuant to this section concerning the liability of the person and the payment of the damages and penalties, the agreement and the contents of the agreement shall remain confidential as long as the parties to the agreement continue to adhere to its terms.
(g) The civil remedy conferred upon merchants by this section shall not apply if the listed retail price of the merchandise taken was in excess of five hundred dollars ($500).
(h) Use of the civil remedy conferred upon merchants by this section shall not be construed to be a violation of § 39-16-604, prohibiting the compounding of an offense.
(i) Any demand in writing or other document sent to the adult, parent or guardian of a minor covered by this section shall also be sent to the district attorney general of the judicial district in which the offense occurred. If the appropriate district attorney general has not, within ten (10) days from the date the document was sent, objected to the use of this section in lieu of criminal prosecution, the district attorney general is deemed to have consented to the use of this section by the mercantile establishment. If the mercantile establishment does not send a written demand or other document to the adult, parent or guardian, the district attorney general must be notified and must consent, either orally or in writing, to the use of this section in lieu of criminal prosecution.
(j) Whenever a retail merchant, the merchant’s agent, or the merchant’s employee apprehends an adult or minor who has committed theft as described in subsection (a), the merchant, agent, or employee shall not at that time enter into any written agreement to accept civil damages in lieu of criminal penalties or actually accept any civil damages.
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