Legal Definitions - nimmer

A nimmer refers to an individual who engages in minor theft, typically by stealth or opportunism, taking items of relatively low value without using force or threats.

Here are some examples to illustrate this term:

• Example 1: While browsing in a bookstore, a customer discreetly slips a small, inexpensive bookmark into their bag without paying for it before leaving the store.

  Explanation: This scenario demonstrates a "nimmer" because the individual is taking a low-value item through stealth, characteristic of a petty thief or pilferer.

• Example 2: An office worker consistently takes home small quantities of company supplies, such as pens, sticky notes, and paper clips, for personal use, rather than purchasing them.

  Explanation: This illustrates a "nimmer" as the employee is pilfering minor items of low individual value from their workplace, often unnoticed, which aligns with the definition of a petty thief.

• Example 3: At a busy public market, someone quickly reaches into an open tote bag left momentarily unattended on a stall and snatches a small, inexpensive souvenir before blending into the crowd.

  Explanation: This situation exemplifies a "nimmer" because the act involves the opportunistic and stealthy taking of a relatively low-value item from another person's possession, without direct confrontation, similar to a pickpocket or petty thief.