I live in Tennessee. I am 20. I have no criminal record. I am not a bad person... I never break rules.. I was desperate because I had no money, lost all my clothes. I tried to steal $156 worth of clothes from Target. I feel terrible now and obviously I will never try it again... I was totally cooperative, they were really nice to me, they were actually comforting me... a police officer came down and gave me a citation and a court date for next month, but I wasn't arrested or anything... they were saying I didn't need to worry since I was cooperative and I didn't have a record. But now I'm getting letters in the mail from lawyers saying I face a jail sentence? And I looked it up and apparently in my state I could face a year in prison?! is that true? I cant go to jail, I'm not mentally stable as it is and I dont think i would survive even a week in jail. I have no money. I cant even buy food. I am freaking out. I am terrified... I didn't leave the store with anything, they got all their clothes back, I wasn't arrested, I don't understand why now I'm possibly facing jail... I can't afford even a consultation with a lawyer, I have literally no money, what am I supposed to do? I have always been a shy, quiet girl, I never even got detention in high school... i have horrible anxiety problems and I'm worried I'm going to have a panic attack in court...