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credit card abuse...in DIAR need of ADVICE PLEASE

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motherofanangel

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Texas



okay. im not sure where to start or how to ask the question, so ill start with what i do know. i was arrested on Thursday September 4 in Williamson county. the arresting officer said i had a warrent out for my arrest for credit card abuse using the person whoes residence i was ats credit card. I had no idea i had a warrent out for my arrest and have never been arrested before. i spent 32 hours in jail and am currently out on a $7200 bond. seeing as how i have never been through this before...im more then scared. i have two children whom i raise full time as a single mom. i lost my job because my arrest showed up in the paper and my boss read it. the clients were uncomfortable, so now i am fired. With the economy the way it is, job searching is not easy at all seeing as how i have only a highschool diploma and 4 years experience in customer service and a pending felony conviction on my record. i was cleaning houses for a living. i have been racking my brain trying to figure out what is going on.The only thing that i can think of is that when i was cleaning their house i saw a stack of credit cards half way under the couch. i didnt want anyone to misplace them so i picked them up. i noticed the name on the card was not the people whose house i was at, so out of curiousity i flipped through the deck wrapped in a rubberband to see whose they were. then, i put the cards in the cleaning bucket because i was going to put them on the desk. i forgot all about them till my mom noticed them still in the cleaning bucket when we arrived at the next house. She said she tossed them into the trunk of her car so she could return them to the house that day. she never did. they are, as far as i know, still in the trunk of her car. so. they have never once been used. i dont know if maybe they have it on video, but then they would see me put them straight into the bucket. and again, they have never been used. i am not denying taking them although it was by accident, however, i am denying ever once using them. i am at a loss here. I NEED ADVICE. i cant afford an attorney, being a now unemployed single mom. but i have to find out what is going on. why i was arrested. i guess i will ask for a court appointed attorney? ARE THEY EVER ANY HELP?!?!?! people say if i do get convicted i will most likly get probation since its my first offence. yet another payment i cant afford and imposible to get a job since i will be a felon. wow. this is scary.



WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM PUNISHMENT FOR THIS CRIME? ANYONE HAVE ANY HELP?....or know an affordable like...payment plan attorney? [email protected]




Someone also told me about the first offenders act in Georgia...allows people to plead guilty and serve extended probation and end up getting their records expunged instead of jail time...DOES THIS WORK OR IS THERE ANYTHING LIKE IT IN TEXAS?!?! someone ANYONE...give me some advice here
 


CavemanLawyer

Senior Member
The punishment range for a charge of credit/debit card abuse is anywhere from 6 months to two years in State Jail (which is served day for day) or up to 5 years probation. The type of probation you are referring to is deferred adjudication. You plead guilty but are not found guilty at that time. If you complete your probation you are never found guilty you are just discharged. This is not the same thing as having the record expunged, and will still show on your criminal record it just will not be considered a felony conviction. After a period of years it is possible to file a petition of nondisclosure though which will make the conviction only visible to government/law enforcement agencies.

If you cannot afford to hire an attorney than yes you must apply for a court appointed one. Yes, a court appointed attorney will be of help. The quality of the attorney varies but most court appointed attorneys take appointments to supplement their retained cases and to build their client base, not because they can't get clients any other way. In other words, you are getting for free what other accused individuals are paying for.
 

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