CHAPTER 114

AN ACT to prescribe penalties for wilful concealment of goods or mer-
chandise on the premises of stores; and to exempt certain persons,
having probable cause to believe such offenses have been committed,
from civil liability in connection with apprehension of persons sus-
pected thereof.

[S 56]

Approved February 25, 1958

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, as follows:

1. § 1. Whoever, without authority, wilfully conceals the goods or mer-
chandise of any store, while still upon the premises of such store, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be pun-
ished as provided by law.

§2. A merchant, agent or employee of the merchant, who causes the
arrest of any person pursuant to the provisions of the preceding section,
shall not be held civilly liable for unlawful detention, slander, malicious
prosecution, false imprisonment, false arrest, or assault and battery of the
person so arrested, whether such arrest takes place on the premises of
the merchant, or after close pursuit from such premises by such merchant,
his agent or employee, provided that, in causing the arrest of such person,
the merchant, agent or employee of the merchant, had at the time of such
arrest probable cause to believe that the person committed wilful con-
cealment of goods or merchandise.

§ 3. As used in this act “agents of the merchant” shall include at-
tendants at any parking lot owned or leased by the merchant, or generally
used by customers of the merchant through any contract or agreement
between the owner of the parking lot and the merchant.