Dismissal Likely in Caroline Giuliani Theft Case

The daughter of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is on track to get her cosmetics-store shoplifting case dismissed with a day of community service.

A Manhattan judge adjourned Caroline Giuliani's case Tuesday in contemplation of dismissal. It means the case will be closed and sealed if Giuliani completes the volunteer work and stays out of trouble for six months.

The Manhattan district attorney's office says that's the outcome of the vast majority of first-time, low-dollar-value shoplifting arrests - not a special deal for the daughter of the former federal prosecutor who became a law-and-order mayor.

The 20-year-old Harvard University student was arrested Aug. 4 on charges of pocketing about $100 worth of makeup at a Sephora store.

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After being led away in handcuffs, Giuliani spent five hours in New York's 19th precinct lock-up. She was later released to her mother, Donna Hanover and a family attorney.

Rudy Giuliani's office issued a brief statement, saying, "This is a personal matter and Mayor Giuliani asks the media to respect the privacy of his daughter at this time."

It's widely believed the 20-year-old is estranged from her famous father since her parents divorced in 2002.

But how do young well-to-do people find themselves in this situation at all?

Child and adolescent psychologist Dr. Jennifer Hartstein told CBS' "The Early Show" that said shoplifting happens for a lot of reasons. However, according to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, about a third of people who shoplift have depression.

She added entitlement may also be a factor.

"There's this sense of, 'Well, I just deserve, it I'm going to take it, I'm going to do that and keep moving forward."

As for the two-thirds who don't have depression, Hartstein said some people may be using shoplifting as a substitute for a loss.

"Something happens and then they feel like they need to replace it, so they go and take things," Hartstein said.