You are not legally required to pay a civil demand letter before a civil lawsuit is actually filed against you, and in many cases these letters are sent in bulk with little individual review. Rhode Island retailers do have a statutory right to seek civil recovery from shoplifters, so the threat is not empty - but the demand amount is often negotiable and sometimes disappears entirely when the criminal case resolves favorably. Paying a civil demand can, in some situations, be cited later as an admission. Our advice to every Bank & Munns client is the same: do not respond to a civil demand letter alone. Bring it to your free consultation. A Rhode Island shoplifting lawyer will tell you whether to pay, negotiate down, or wait until the criminal side is resolved.