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Caught Shoplifting at Target Need Advice

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codey123

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Michigan
My friend and I were bumming around in the mall when we went to target and we came up with one of our dumbest ideas to steal something. Our total was $194.97 the cops told us we were lucky that it wasn't $6 more or it would of been 2nd degree retail fraud. When we were caught I had nothing at all in my pockets, however my friend had an exacto knife, a mp3 player and a radar detector. They said they have me cutting open one of the boxes on camera which I only cut open the back not the whole thing. When we were in the room talking to the LPs' they asked who the exacto knife belonged to and I said it was mine. The officer asked me what I carried it around for and I told him for self defense, he then told me that is a felony and asked me if I wanted to try again so I said it was for cutting open boxes. When they asked my friend why he had a radar detector when he doesn't have a car I told them it was for me. We are both 16 and were released to our parents and told we would be getting something in the mail from the court. I have no prior record with the police or anything, my past is clean, I am a mainly A and B student. I also drove us to the mall if that means anything. If any one could please give me any information as to what is most likely to happen to me I would be very grateful. Thanks. I forgot to add that we both signed something from target admitting to stealing, and I am planning on pleading guilty at court. What will happen if I plead guilty at court?
 


HomeGuru

Senior Member
codey123 said:
What is the name of your state? Michigan
My friend and I were bumming around in the mall when we went to target and we came up with one of our dumbest ideas to steal something. Our total was $194.97 the cops told us we were lucky that it wasn't $6 more or it would of been 2nd degree retail fraud. When we were caught I had nothing at all in my pockets, however my friend had an exacto knife, a mp3 player and a radar detector. They said they have me cutting open one of the boxes on camera which I only cut open the back not the whole thing. When we were in the room talking to the LPs' they asked who the exacto knife belonged to and I said it was mine. The officer asked me what I carried it around for and I told him for self defense, he then told me that is a felony and asked me if I wanted to try again so I said it was for cutting open boxes. When they asked my friend why he had a radar detector when he doesn't have a car I told them it was for me. We are both 16 and were released to our parents and told we would be getting something in the mail from the court. I have no prior record with the police or anything, my past is clean, I am a mainly A and B student. I also drove us to the mall if that means anything. If any one could please give me any information as to what is most likely to happen to me I would be very grateful. Thanks. I forgot to add that we both signed something from target admitting to stealing, and I am planning on pleading guilty at court. What will happen if I plead guilty at court?
**A: you are lucky you did not do it at Walmart.
 

seniorjudge

Senior Member
codey123 said:
What is the name of your state? Michigan
My friend and I were bumming around in the mall when we went to target and we came up with one of our dumbest ideas to steal something. Our total was $194.97 the cops told us we were lucky that it wasn't $6 more or it would of been 2nd degree retail fraud. When we were caught I had nothing at all in my pockets, however my friend had an exacto knife, a mp3 player and a radar detector. They said they have me cutting open one of the boxes on camera which I only cut open the back not the whole thing. When we were in the room talking to the LPs' they asked who the exacto knife belonged to and I said it was mine. The officer asked me what I carried it around for and I told him for self defense, he then told me that is a felony and asked me if I wanted to try again so I said it was for cutting open boxes. When they asked my friend why he had a radar detector when he doesn't have a car I told them it was for me. We are both 16 and were released to our parents and told we would be getting something in the mail from the court. I have no prior record with the police or anything, my past is clean, I am a mainly A and B student. I also drove us to the mall if that means anything. If any one could please give me any information as to what is most likely to happen to me I would be very grateful. Thanks. I forgot to add that we both signed something from target admitting to stealing, and I am planning on pleading guilty at court. What will happen if I plead guilty at court?

https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?p=839424#post839424

standard shoplifting answer

Be prepared for your shoplifting conviction to hinder your job opportunities for the rest of your life.

There are thousands of questions similar to yours on this forum.

Stand by; others may have advice also.
 

seniorjudge

Senior Member
Standard answer

Here are some hints on appearing in court:

Dress professionally in clean clothes.

Do not wear message shirts.

Don't chew gum, smoke, or eat.

Bathe and wash your hair.

Go to court beforehand some day before you actually have to go to watch how things go.

Speak politely and deferentially. If you argue or dispute something, do it professionally and without emotion.

Ask the court clerk who you talk to about a diversion (meaning you want to plead to a different, lesser charge), if applicable in your situation. Ask about traffic school and the ticket not go on your record, if applicable.


Here are five stories that criminal court judges hear the most (and I suggest you do not use them or variations of them):

1. I’ve been saved! (This is not religion specific; folks from all kinds of religious backgrounds use this one.)

2. My girlfriend/mother/sister/daughter is pregnant/sick/dying/dead/crippled and needs my help.

3. I’ve got a job in [name a state five hundred miles away].

4. This is the first time I ever did this.

5. You’ve got the wrong guy. (A variation of this one is the phantom defendant story: “It wasn’t me driving, it was a hitchhiker I picked up. He wrecked the car, drug me behind the wheel then took off.”)

https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?p=854687#post854687

Public defender’s advice

http://newyork.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/70300494.html


Other people may give you other advice; stand by.
 

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