MIP and Retail Fraud While on Probation for Possession of Marijuana

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Michigan.

I had tried and failed to steal a $10 bottle of wine. I gave it back to them. I recieved a ticket for retail fraud and mip. I am currently on the first offenders program for posession of marijuana. I recieved a $400 fine, a drug test in july, and to stay out of trouble; my review is in july. The wine related offense is in a separate county than the marijuana charge. I have ten days to appear before the court for the ticket. Im 17.

1. Should I hire an attorney? I was on videotape, i dont see getting out of it as an option.

2. What punishment should i be expecting if i plead guilty to the mip and retail fraud?

3. I was told that I should call the court officer and tell them. Should I do this after my retail fraud arraignment if i plead guilty? They said itd be better instead of them seeing my new offenses at the end of informal probation review.

4. If this violates my informal probation what am I expecting to see? My judge was quite nice.

I graduate on May 18th and am worried about jail time. I currently have a job. I have a 4.0. I made some horrible mistakes.

4.0 means you should have known better.

You need to report it to your probation officer NOW. This does violate your informal probation. You can expect that the judge will now sentence you to whatever the original sentence would have been.

17 and stealing a bottle of wine, plus the marijuana charge - I would expect you would be court ordered into a drug and alcohol awareness program (you pay). And fines for all charges.

If you can afford an attorney, it would not be a bad idea.

These are in two different courts, should i hire a lawyer to handle both?

If there is a significant geographical distance between the courts, you might have a hard time finding a single lawyer to take both cases. If both courts are within the same county, you'll probably have no problem finding a lawyer to take both.

A lawyer said that i wont need one for my arraignment and take any diversion program they give me.

As for my current informal probation, what should i do? Should i notify the court that i violated? Should i get a lawyer for that?

Should i wait until my arraignment is over to tell the court as well?

Read my reply above.....you need to let the court know NOW that you violated probation.

I dont have a probation officer? Who do i call? What should i say? I havent been convicted of anything yet. What do i expect to happen?