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Guest
My child recently got caught shoplifting. This is the first and last time!! I have some questions that I am confused about.
We have the 1st court date the beginning of next month.
We were going to go in and plead guilty because she did do it with some friends. I figured if we did that the judge would sentence her to community service and than I was told her records would be sealed and that would be the end.
I am finding out different things now.
I am told to plead not guilty and get a lawyer. If we get a lawyer we have more bargining power and can probably get her not convicted. Is this correct, should we have a lawyer?
If we plead guilty would my child be more likely to be convicted than by the judge? Having a lawyer would make it more likely to get her off of being convicted?
Is it o.k. to go to the 1st appearance and plead not guilty without a lawyer and than get a lawyer after that? Or should we have a lawyer for that first appearance.
I was told if you want to apply for legal aid you can't do that until the first court appearance and you plead not guilty.
What is the difference between sealing a record and expungement?
I was told sealing is where they can see you had something but they don't know what it is and they would have to ask you.
Expungement is where it is totally gone and wiped out.
So under what circumstances on applications would you have to admit that you had a record or can you always say no?
I want my child to be able to fill out an application without having to say yes there was an arrest or was convicted of a crime.
I was told my child probably wouldn't be convicted so she could say that she wasn't on an application but she would always have to say she was arrested with an explantion.
Basically I want to know how to get this wiped off so there is np monkey on her back or will this always come up and she will have to explain it?
We are in Florida,are records automatically sealed for juveniles or you have to get a lawyer to do that extra. How about expungments? Is that extra for a lawyer?
I read that the clerk of courts has a packet that you can fill out that can be done without a lawyer,is that true?
Thanks for your help
We have the 1st court date the beginning of next month.
We were going to go in and plead guilty because she did do it with some friends. I figured if we did that the judge would sentence her to community service and than I was told her records would be sealed and that would be the end.
I am finding out different things now.
I am told to plead not guilty and get a lawyer. If we get a lawyer we have more bargining power and can probably get her not convicted. Is this correct, should we have a lawyer?
If we plead guilty would my child be more likely to be convicted than by the judge? Having a lawyer would make it more likely to get her off of being convicted?
Is it o.k. to go to the 1st appearance and plead not guilty without a lawyer and than get a lawyer after that? Or should we have a lawyer for that first appearance.
I was told if you want to apply for legal aid you can't do that until the first court appearance and you plead not guilty.
What is the difference between sealing a record and expungement?
I was told sealing is where they can see you had something but they don't know what it is and they would have to ask you.
Expungement is where it is totally gone and wiped out.
So under what circumstances on applications would you have to admit that you had a record or can you always say no?
I want my child to be able to fill out an application without having to say yes there was an arrest or was convicted of a crime.
I was told my child probably wouldn't be convicted so she could say that she wasn't on an application but she would always have to say she was arrested with an explantion.
Basically I want to know how to get this wiped off so there is np monkey on her back or will this always come up and she will have to explain it?
We are in Florida,are records automatically sealed for juveniles or you have to get a lawyer to do that extra. How about expungments? Is that extra for a lawyer?
I read that the clerk of courts has a packet that you can fill out that can be done without a lawyer,is that true?
Thanks for your help