There may be more to the story than what is being reported. The length of time that they were held caught my attention. I am wondering if they, or either one, may have had a prior record, an outstanding warrant or be on parole or probation. Even a misdemeanor can be considered as a parole or probation violation. I can't imagine why they were held so long, or for that matter, held at all, unless there was a mitigating issue.
Normally, a misdemeanor is handled the same as a traffic ticket. The Officer or Trooper will issue a summons to appear before a judge to answer to the charge or charges. Usually these types of misdemeanors are handled by a district judge and the defendant may represent him or herself without having to hire an attorney.
Personally, I have never had a person refuse to leave a business establishment when I have asked them to. Some 10 years ago, it was a very cold January night when I was called to a convenient store because the clerk thought someone who was in the store was acting suspicious. When I approached the older gentleman, I asked him what his business was and if he intended to make a purchase. He told me that he would like to, but he had no money and just wanted to warm up a bit before trying to find a place to lay his head for the night. I told him that there was a shelter about 12 miles down the road and I would be glad to take him to it. He accepted my offer, so I bought him a sandwich and a large coffee before we left the store. He never said a word during the ride to the shelter, but did thank me once I got him inside.
The point to my story is that we never know what one's reasoning is for what they are doing, unless we ask. All too often, people assume the worse. Like in this instance, the young lady cashier thought the man was "casing" the store and waiting until there were no customers inside before robbing her. That's what she told me. I asked her if she asked the man what his intentions were and she said no. She told me that if he was just trying to get warm, she would not have called the police and probably would have offered him a cup of coffee.
