Shoplifting, Larceny, Robbery, Theft Caught shoplifting, going to court

[Asianaleww]

Hello! Jut today I was caught shop lifting at a local store with charges of 24$. my friend and I were both arrested but not taken to jail, we were both issued a court date for the upcoming Tuesday. I live in Cincinnati OH and was wondering what to expect in court. This is my first time ever getting arrested over a misdemeanor would I be sentenced to jail? My friend and I are both 18 and I'm honestly traumatized by the whole expierence and know I will never do it again

 

[army judge]

Plead not guilty, ask the judge if you qualify for a public defender, admit to nothing, don't discuss any aspect of the case, EXCEPT with your lawyer.

Then wait. Your lawyer will explain how it works, and suggest what you do next.

 

[shrinkmaster]

I am a retail theft consultant and answer questions like yours daily. Do exactly as AJ suggest and when you meet this Lawyer ask about plea options like ACD or Diversion to protect your record

 

[Betty3]

You most likely will also be receiving a civil demand letter from the store. Here is a link re civil demands in Ohio.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2307.61

 

[mightymoose]

Your court appearance on Tuesday is called an arraignment. You will be formally notifies of the charges against you and the court will determine how to proceed. All you need to do is ask for court appointed counsel if you can't afford your own attorney. DO NOT plea guilty without speaking with an attorney first.
You will likely then get a new court date to return in several weeks.
You won't get jail time over this. All they want is your money.
An attorney can help get this reduced to an infraction so you won't have a criminal record.
You can also ask the attorney what to do in the event you receive a civil demand letter in the mail wanting more money. According you your state law that demand should only be $50, but they tend to demand more and use scare tactics to get you to pay up.

 

[terryann54321]

shop lifting first

Plead not guilty, ask the judge if you qualify for a public defender, admit to nothing, don't discuss any aspect of the case, EXCEPT with your lawyer.

Then wait. Your lawyer will explain how it works, and suggest what you do next.

I just came back from court...since i wasnt arrested...I was asked to plea..once I pled guilty I was granted a fine of $255.00 I will never do this again..then only thing I wish I had done different..was since this is the first time I have ever been in trouble, was had asked the judge to defer my case...

with that said, I am closer to retiring, than newly seeking a job...I would recommend getting with an an attorney prior to the arraignment...I believe if I had one, I could have gotten this to not show on my record..again didn't think about it until it was too late

 

[shrinkmaster]

You are not only one. I cant count the people I have spoken to who thought to just get it over and plead guilty only to have a criminal record once that was over.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

I just came back from court...since i wasnt arrested...I was asked to plea..once I pled guilty I was granted a fine of $255.00 I will never do this again..then only thing I wish I had done different..was since this is the first time I have ever been in trouble, was had asked the judge to defer my case...

with that said, I am closer to retiring, than newly seeking a job...I would recommend getting with an an attorney prior to the arraignment...I believe if I had one, I could have gotten this to not show on my record..again didn't think about it until it was too late

Thank you for sharing your experience and opinion. Retaining an attorney - or even just speaking to a criminal attorney - is critical. The earlier the better since then you'll have an expectation well prior to court and you can be prepared when the big day arrives. We have an article here that explains more about deferred adjudication, ACD and pretrial diversion programs. Best of luck in court to our original poster.