Any person concealing unpurchased merchandise of any establishment, either on the premises or outside the premises of the establishment, shall be presumed to have so concealed the merchandise with the intention of committing a wrongful taking of such merchandise. Such concealment or the finding of such unpurchased merchandise concealed upon the person, or among the belongings of such person, shall be conclusive evidence of reasonable grounds and probable cause for the detention in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable length of time of such person by a merchant, or his or her agent or employee; any such reasonable detention shall not be deemed to be unlawful nor render any such merchant, or his or her agent or employee, criminally or civilly liable.
(Prior Code, § 10-306)