Caught Shoplifting Watches

My question involves criminal law for the state of: IA

Today I was caught stealing $70.84 worth of watches (two) from Walmart. They brought me into a room, I gave them the watches back, and calmly filled out my information and answered questions while they called the police. Once the police arrived, I was again questioned, was given a ticket, and was then let go. I am supposed to receive something in the mail from Walmart in a few days which I assume to be a fine and have a court date scheduled for the 13th. I'm 18 years old and this is my first offense. I have a completely clear record, traffic and everything, and this is 5th degree theft. What I want to know is what my options are from here on out.

1. I listed my current address as my dorm room and my home address as my actual house. Will they send a letter to both places or just my current address. If it helps, on the ticket I received from the officer, the only address listed was my current address.

2. When I show up to my court date, should I plead guilty or not guilty and ask for a public defender? I'd like for this to not show up on my permanent record if possible and I'd be more than willing to accept community service in return. I'm basically just clueless as to what I should do and would like to not show up and shoot myself in the foot.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

The only way to guarantee that a crime will not stay on your record permanently is not to commit it in the first place.

Your ONLY hope of having this happen is to get an attorney (whether a public defender or a private attorney) and to inquire about possible diversion programs. This does not qualify for an expungement in Iowa so if it goes on your record, it's there for good. A diversion is your only other option.

Always plead not guilty unless you have legal counsel as to the implications of doing otherwise. Walmart's "lawyers" will demand a few hundred dollars in compensation for the losses they sustained by your behavior. This is completely independent of your criminal prosecution.