ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Lawyer explains why you should avoid self-checkout kiosks in stores that might land you in jail

Many took to the video to share their views, with one user Tommy Drop "If u use self-checkout just make sure u don't steal even by accident, and you're good."
PUBLISHED SEP 7, 2024
Cover Image Source: TikTok | carriejernigan1
Cover Image Source: TikTok | carriejernigan1

A lawyer took to social media and shared her views on using a self-checkout counter. According to Carrie Jernigan, self-checkout counters might result in you being falsely accused of theft. The video was first uploaded on TikTok in 2022, and since then has continually gotten traction. In the first video, Jernigan listed the things that she as an attorney often avoids, which included using self-checkout counters. Looking at the response the video had gotten, she decided to make a follow-up video in which she explained her reasons. 

In the video, she explains that as a criminal defense attorney, she has seen three categories of individuals charged with theft after using the self-checkout counter at stores: those who intentionally steal, those who made an honest mistake and missed an item, and others who didn't take anything at all. 

TikTok | carriejernigan1
TikTok | carriejernigan1

She went on to talk about how the people who steal have become so competent that it's very difficult for the authorities to catch them. As a result, asset protection at big box stores is now less sympathetic to people who simply did not intend to steal. Now, despite having to intent to steal, customers who miss an item while checking out are now charged because these big box businesses aren't going to spend their time and resources trying to figure out if they did it on purpose.

Ainsley | TikTok
Ainsley | TikTok

"So they will begin watching hours of video to see that the last person to checks out with the Mario Lego set because they're two short," she says.  "And because of who these big box stores are, they usually have to present very little evidence to get an affidavit for warrant signed, the charges that could land you up to a year in jail get filed, and then you are fighting for your life trying to determine what day you were at Walmart, what all you bought," she adds.

She goes on to say that even proving that one didn't steal doesn't save the individual from the grueling process which can be both time-consuming and expensive. 

Adrianne | TikTok
Adrianne| TikTok

Many took to the video to share their views, with one user Tommy Drop "If u use self-checkout just make sure u don't steal even by accident, and ur good," while another user Febougie wrote, "When I was a probation officer, I had a dozen misdemeanor probationers from self-checkout errors. Literal mothers and old people."

Another user noturmom wrote, "Imagine Walmart ruining your life over $10. They sell expired food to people," another user on the other hand wrote about their first-hand experience with self-checkout going wrong, "My mom accidentally left a tiny $3 lemon oil in her cart after buying $300 in groceries. She was charged with theft and had to do community service," Beck writes

There were also people in the comment section who expressed their discontent with the self-checkout rules, "Took me 7 months and cost me 6,000 to clear my name after I was falsely accused and the evidence should have exonerated me immediately", writes KarenGilesAlabamabeaches. 

For more law content follow carriejernigan1, on TikTok.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on April 21, 2024. It has since been updated.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The sharks did not expect the product to taste as good as it did, considering what it was made from.
4 hours ago
The designer was also commissioned by top brands and worked for the royal family.
5 hours ago
The host had a look of bewilderment on his face which was absolutely hilarious.
6 hours ago
Things did not seem to be going well for the entrepreneur due to her high energy.
9 hours ago
The guest might have had high expectations, but they were quickly brought down to earth.
10 hours ago
The contestant was unable to contain her excitement and hugged the model.
1 day ago
Two of the players got it right, and while the player who lost didn't mind, fans were not satisfied.
1 day ago
Lisa celebrated her birthday in style with a perfect two-card guess to win the big prize.
1 day ago
Rick Harrison did what he could to console the guest who said that he had lost faith in NASCAR.
1 day ago
Both the guest and the expert were fascinated by how well the automaton worked.
2 days ago
One of the entrepreneurs broke down in tears, explaining all the struggles they had to go through.
2 days ago
She couldn’t believe it when her doll was appraised at a five-figure sum, and laughed in disbelief.
2 days ago
Ken Jennings truly has embraced "Jeopardy!" in every way possible at this point.
2 days ago
The comedian was impressed by the simplicity of the product and amused by the pitch.
3 days ago
Harrison usually makes smart deals on the show, but this vintage car buy turned into a costly mistake.
3 days ago
Had she started the game in a better way, she might have won the five-figure prize money.
3 days ago
Barbara Corcoran made the exact same offer, and she wasn't happy about being rejected.
4 days ago
The guest believed that it was worth a modest amount of money, but that was clearly not the case.
4 days ago
With James Holzhauer in the lead, Amy Schneider and Andrew He decided to joke around.
4 days ago
Barbara Corcoran told the founders that she had never seen Greiner so passionate.
4 days ago