Cited for PC 490.5(C) - What Happens and Should I Tell My Employer

My question involves criminal law for the state of: 490.5c and Employment.

Tonight I was cited for 490.5c at a local grocery store. I was shopping and had my hands full, put a bunch of stuff in my bag, took all but 4 donuts out at the cash register (just didn't see them, totally forgot they were in there). I was contacted by store security and given a CA Civil Shoplifting Cite stating that I would be receiving a civil demand letter. The security told me there would be no criminal charges and no police were invovled. However, he did say that the report is fowarded to the civil department of the district attorney's office.

I am not a theif and this truely was an accident. I feel like a complete idiot. I am pretty sure this will ruin me becuase I just finished law school in March, took the July bar, and I am no working for a government agency and on probation until I pass the bar. In order to get the job, I had to go through an extensive background check regarding any criminal history that is currently being completed.

My question is whether or not I should disclose this incident to my employer now? Will they be able to find this information since no criminal charges were pressed? I am almost postive that if they find out they will fire me.

From what you've told us, the store was willing to treat it as a mistake, save for wanting you to pay the civil dmeand. You weren't charged with a crime, you weren't arrested, there's no reason to believe you'll be charged. So I don't see an upside in telling your employer about the incident unless there's reason to believe that they'll somehow find out.

You've given us no reason to expect that your employer would be so attuned to these issues as to pick up on a civil report to a prosecutor's office, but who knows... if you're working for the NSA I suppose it could happen.