NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1971 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 238

HOUSE BILL 303

 

 

AN ACT TO AMEND G.S. 14-72.1, RELATING TO SHOPLIFTING.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 14-72.1 is hereby amended by designating the first paragraph as paragraph (a), designating the second paragraph as paragraph (b), and adding a new paragraph (c) to read as follows:

"(c)       A merchant, or his agent or employee, or a peace officer who detains or causes the arrest of any person shall not be held civilly liable for detention, malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, or false arrest of the person detained or arrested, where such detention is in a reasonable manner for a reasonable length of time, if in detaining or in causing the arrest of such person, the merchant, or his agent or employee, or the peace officer had at the time of the detention or arrest probable cause to believe that the person committed the offense created by this section. If the person being detained by the merchant, or his agent or employee, is a minor 16 years of age or younger, the merchant or his agent or employee, shall call or notify, or make a reasonable effort to call or notify the parent or guardian of the minor, during the period of detention."

Sec. 2.  The provisions of this act shall become effective July 31, 1971.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 27th day of April, 1971.