Shoplifting, Larceny, Robbery, Theft What should I do?

S

Sosogirl24

New Member
Jurisdiction
Arkansas
Never had a offense not even a traffic violation. I was 18 years old and found a phone in the middle of my dorm hallway then I left campus. The next day, I was called to the public safety office of our campus and was asked about the incident told them everything and gave back the phone. I was punished for it I was kicked out of my dorm and moved home and now a year and 2 months later, I get a postcard sent to my parents him saying I have a warrant for my arrest. When I google it in the department. It says I have a charge of theft from receiving, and doesn't have a court date listed. I'm so confused because I thought the matter was solved when I was in college. And now it's coming back again. How will all of this go down? I'm pretty nervous. Will I go to jail or get fined?
 
If you want to resolve it you can contact local law enforcement and provide the information they request to confirm you do have an active warrant.

Odds are that you will not be arrested but given a citation with a court date. If you want it to go away you will have to make yourself available and face it.

I bet this is something that you can probably make go away completely. Contact an attorney you trust to find out what your options are and what to expect.
 
Sosogirl24 said:
Never had a offense not even a traffic violation. I was 18 years old and found a phone in the middle of my dorm hallway then I left campus. The next day, I was called to the public safety office of our campus and was asked about the incident told them everything and gave back the phone. I was punished for it I was kicked out of my dorm and moved home and now a year and 2 months later, I get a postcard sent to my parents him saying I have a warrant for my arrest. When I google it in the department. It says I have a charge of theft from receiving, and doesn't have a court date listed. I'm so confused because I thought the matter was solved when I was in college. And now it's coming back again. How will all of this go down? I'm pretty nervous. Will I go to jail or get fined?
Click to expand...
mightymoose said:
If you want to resolve it you can contact local law enforcement and provide the information they request to confirm you do have an active warrant.

Odds are that you will not be arrested but given a citation with a court date. If you want it to go away you will have to make yourself available and face it.

I bet this is something that you can probably make go away completely. Contact an attorney you trust to find out what your options are and what to expect.
Click to expand...
i can't afford a lawyer.
 
Sosogirl24 said:
i can't afford a lawyer.
Click to expand...


All the better for you, if you can pass the court's financial muster you'll be provided with a taxpayer funded public defender to protect your rights.

Do you currently reside in Arkansas?

In what state is the police agency that caused the warrant to issue?

What is the exact name of the charge and criminal statute with which you've been charged?

If its in Arkansas, it'll look something like this: § 5-36-103 - Theft of property....
 
I reside in Arkansas. It says theft of receiving and I received a postcard in the mail saying

"The Russellville Police Department Holds A Warrant For Your Arrest"

"You are urged to contact the Warrants Division of this agency immediately in order to resolve this matter. Failure to do so will result in your arrest"

"Additionally, any warrant issued as the result of your failure to appear in court will result in the suspension of your drivers license."
 
Sosogirl24 said:
I reside in Arkansas. It says theft of receiving and I received a postcard in the mail saying

"The Russellville Police Department Holds A Warrant For Your Arrest"

"You are urged to contact the Warrants Division of this agency immediately in order to resolve this matter. Failure to do so will result in your arrest"

"Additionally, any warrant issued as the result of your failure to appear in court will result in the suspension of your drivers license."
Click to expand...


Okay, first things first.
Talk to a couple local bail bond companies sand ask how much your bail will cost you to get you out of jail on the warrant.

In some cases there might be a Failure to Appear warrant, too.

Call the police station admin number tomorrow, and ask for details.

This is the warrants clerk number: 479-968-3232
Her name is Diane Reed.
Her email is: dreed@rsvlar.org

CPL Danny Dunson is the warrants officer. His number: 479-968-3232
His email is: ddunson@rsvlar.org

Call them, see what you can learn.
 
I strongly suspect you will not be arrested. Don't be afraid to contact them. The details you give indicate there is very little to this issue and enough time has passed that prosecution may not be pursued (the student who lost the phone may have moved away by now too).
 
mightymoose said:
I strongly suspect you will not be arrested. Don't be afraid to contact them. The details you give indicate there is very little to this issue and enough time has passed that prosecution may not be pursued (the student who lost the phone may have moved away by now too).
Click to expand...
When I look up my name on the Russellville police department site its under Fine Payment it was no court date, my violation date of 03/30/2016, my citation #, and case #. Is it just the fact that I need to pay a fine?
 
Most likely, yes. If they were going to arrest you they would not have announced it with a postcard.

You can pay the fine and be done with it, or if you do not want to pay the fine discuss it with a local attorney and see what your options are.

It seems you may have missed the court date given on your citation and your options may be limited. The fine is likely a couple hundred dollars.
 
mightymoose said:
Most likely, yes. If they were going to arrest you they would not have announced it with a postcard.

You can pay the fine and be done with it, or if you do not want to pay the fine discuss it with a local attorney and see what your options are.

It seems you may have missed the court date given on your citation and your options may be limited. The fine is likely a couple hundred dollars.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by my options maybe limited? Will they give me another court date or will they just give me a fine to pay? I also was never sent anything with a court date or anything. This was my first thing ever being sent.
 
Last edited:
That is what you have to contact them and find out.
Were you charged with a misdemeanor or was it a local ordinance?
Did you fail to appear at a hearing? Will another be scheduled?

Is paying the fine going to leave you with a criminal record for theft?
Are you still entitled to a hearing?
Are you still eligible for diversion programs?

There is lots to find out. Call them, find out what you can without telling them anything, then call an attorney.
 
mightymoose said:
That is what you have to contact them and find out.
Were you charged with a misdemeanor or was it a local ordinance?
Did you fail to appear at a hearing? Will another be scheduled?

Is paying the fine going to leave you with a criminal record for theft?
Are you still entitled to a hearing?
Are you still eligible for diversion programs?

There is lots to find out. Call them, find out what you can without telling them anything, then call an attorney.
Click to expand...
What is a citation? Like, could I just pay the fine instead of going to court?
 
Last edited:
I am a Retail Theft Consultant and answer questions like yours daily. You are best served doing as instructed above there are too many mistakes you can make if you make poor decisions
 

Share this page

Get a free case review from a lawyer
Back
Top