Caught Shoplifting from Walmart

[dlw1118]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Illinois

21 yrs of age. Shortly after being laid off from my job, I made a bad judgment and stole an amount of $200 from walmart. The LP tried to stop me, but I made a run to my car and 2 hours after arriving home the police showed up. Since this was the end of the line I ended up confessing my wrongdoings to the police officer. Because I completely complied and this being my 1st offense, the officer ended up lowering(with the consent of the attorneys' office) what would normally be a felony, to a class A misdemeanor. So my question today is do I have to plead "not guilty" in order to chat with a public defender, and with doing so backfire because I've already confessed to the officer? Would you recommend a lawyer instead? what is the max for civil demands? and what are some foreseeable punishments? I dont mind paying for the fines, I just don't want to serve in probation because I plan on moving soon. Thanks for reading.

[LawResearcherMissy]

So my question today is do I have to plead "not guilty" in order to chat with a public defender,

Yes.

and with doing so backfire because I've already confessed to the officer?

No. You have the right to procure counsel, even if the cop watched you commit the crime. Pleading Not Guilty is not lying to the court, it's asking the court to prove your crime.

Would you recommend a lawyer instead?

A PD IS a lawyer. If you can afford private counsel, you are not eligible for a PD.

what is the max for civil demands?

In Illinois, $1000.

and what are some foreseeable punishments? I dont mind paying for the fines, I just don't want to serve in probation because I plan on moving soon

You'll need to put your plans on hold, because probation is almost a certainty. You may be able to transfer probation to another jurisdiction, but until you get the OK from the court to do so, you'll need to stay put.

[dlw1118]

That what i needed to hear, thank you. Will a Walmart prosecutor be there with evidence to try and max my sentence?

[Puttheputzaway]

Sort of same scenario here. My daughter's 21 y/o boyfriend has got shoplifting at WalMart in Ohio which, unfortunately was also a violation of his probation, from a disorderly conduct(reduced from assault). According to something I read, the theft charge looks like a possible 6 months/$1,000 by itself. With the violation of probation, the price of poker is sure to go up.