Shoplifting, Larceny, Robbery, Theft petty theft, first time offender

[Guest]

jurisdiction/state: Idaho

I was caught shoplifting in a Retail store. I'm of legal age at 19. The dollar amount was enough for them to call the police, and the officer charged me with a misdemeanor petty theft. I have no prior criminal history period (the only other time I've interacted with police was for a car accident but no charges were put in with the police for the incident), let alone in theft.

What would be the best way to handle this and what should I expect? The paper I was given says I can plead guilty and pay a fee without appearing in court. Is this the best route to take? How much should I expect the fines to be and how long will I have to pay them?

I've never been in any legal trouble before so some advice on how best to solve this and what I should expect in the coming days would be greatly appreciated. I know this sounds stupid, but I would prefer to avoid my foster parents finding out about the incident, is that going to be possible?

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Best to speak to an attorney. If you plead guilty and pay the fine, you may not get a more preferential term that you may be able to obtain such as alternative sentencing options. I would highly advise you to retain an attorney or make use of the public defender if you cannot afford legal counsel. You may benefit from the wisdom of your foster parents in this matter and I wouldn't avoid them and risking long term harmful effects.