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SIN
Guest
We are two females in Illinois and were arrested and charged with retail theft. We were very stupid and intend pleading guilty to the charge. We were apprehended by store security outside the store with goods not paid for. The store security questioned us and then the police were called. We were handcuffed, taken to the Police Station, fingerprinted and charged. Bond for each of us was posted at $100 with a court date of 18th April. We are both first offenders without any prior convictions. We estimate the total value of the merchandise was $140-150. We are both adults.
Our situation is further complicated by the fact that one of us is an Australian Citizen here on a 3 month visitor's visa which expired end of January 2000.
So our questions are:
1) Given that we will plead guilty what sort of fines and/or probation can we expect?
2) Is it possible to pay this fine and elect to serve weekend detention, and if so what would be the length of the weekdn detention?
3) As one of us is an Australian citizen on an expired visa does this mean that deportation proceedings will automatically commence. Also is this person bound by US law to stay in the USA until the sentance of fine/probation etc has been served? Is there any likelyhood of the Australian being imprisoned pending deportation or would she be given the same sentance and terms as the US Citizen?
Could you please recommend a leagal aid laywer in Springfield in Illinois and offer any adive as to our next course of action?
Our situation is further complicated by the fact that one of us is an Australian Citizen here on a 3 month visitor's visa which expired end of January 2000.
So our questions are:
1) Given that we will plead guilty what sort of fines and/or probation can we expect?
2) Is it possible to pay this fine and elect to serve weekend detention, and if so what would be the length of the weekdn detention?
3) As one of us is an Australian citizen on an expired visa does this mean that deportation proceedings will automatically commence. Also is this person bound by US law to stay in the USA until the sentance of fine/probation etc has been served? Is there any likelyhood of the Australian being imprisoned pending deportation or would she be given the same sentance and terms as the US Citizen?
Could you please recommend a leagal aid laywer in Springfield in Illinois and offer any adive as to our next course of action?