Caught Committing Retail Theft in Illinois

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Illinois

What to do about Ordinance Violation Retail Theft in Illinois?

This incident occurred in Illinois in a grocery store. I took $12 of merchandise, I know it was a stupid mistake, and got apprehended by the store security. The cops were called and I gave my personal information to security (name, phone number, address), but not my SSN. I didn't sign any papers, but the cop gave me a non-traffic ordinance violation for retail theft. I've been told by many attorneys that this is just a small infraction and it wouldn't show up on background checks and that this small infraction shouldn't affect future jobs that I apply for and that I shouldn't worry. I didn't get fingerprinted or sent to the Police station for mugshots, but I did get a picture taken from the store for future use. I basically can't go into that grocery store for another year or else I'll be cited for trespassing.

Well what happened was I pled "Not Guilty" at my first court hearing and am currently going to Pre-trial. I'm nervous since this is my first ever incident that has caused me so much stress and I'm worrying financially because I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to pay this ticket off, pay off my rent and pay for college books/tuition. It was an honest mistake and I regret doing it!

I have a few questions regarding my incident:
1) What can I expect from my Pre-trial? Will the District Attorney be someone who has no mercy over petty shoplifters and wants to make an example of them, or will s/he allow me to take a theft class and dismiss my case? (This is my first time EVER going into court, do notice).

2) The grocery store notified me that I was going to receive a civil demand notice which I haven't gotten one yet. They told me the amount was going to equate to approximately $250. Should I pay this? I'm extremely poor and out of money since I'm working at a full-time job working 40 hour weeks paying off rent and my school loans and spending the rest of my spare time studying for classes as a full-time enrolled student.

3) Will this show up on background checks and affect my employment options? I'm really looking into working in the medical field and becoming a Surgeon. My GPA is at a 3.85 and I'm in my third year of college. I've received four scholarships which totaled $10,000, but this only covers SOME of my tuition and I'm seriously in need of advice.

If there are any Law experts or someone willing to help me out here, please do! Thank you.

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Quoting mtheos

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1) What can I expect from my Pre-trial? Will the District Attorney be someone who has no mercy over petty shoplifters and wants to make an example of them,

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Considering the epidemic of stupid shoplifters that post on this site, it wouldn't surprise me if they throw the book at you.

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Quoting mtheos

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will s/he allow me to take a theft class and dismiss my case?

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Nobody's found an accurate way to predict the future yet.

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Quoting mtheos

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This is my first time EVER going into court, do notice.

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You sure it's not just the first time you've gotten caught?

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Quoting mtheos

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2) The grocery store notified me that I was going to receive a civil demand notice which I haven't gotten one yet. They told me the amount was going to equate to approximately $250. Should I pay this?

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Yes.

If you hope for leniency on the criminal charge you'll need to make restitution.

You don't have any bargaining power.

If you don't pay, they can sue you and a judgment trashes your credit for many years.

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Quoting mtheos

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I'm extremely poor and out of money since I'm working at a full-time job working 40 hour weeks paying off rent and my school loans and spending the rest of my spare time studying for classes as a full-time enrolled student.

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Oh, boo hoo. You should have thought of that before you committed the crime.

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Quoting mtheos

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3) Will this show up on background checks and affect my employment options?

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Very likely.

We've seen people post here about minor crimes from decades ago that have screwed up their lives.

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Quoting mtheos

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I'm really looking into working in the medical field and becoming a Surgeon. My GPA is at a 3.85 and I'm in my third year of college. I've received four scholarships which totaled $10,000, but this only covers SOME of my tuition and I'm seriously in need of advice.

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Then instead of just talking to lawyers, you need to hire one.

You're being prosecuted for a crime. Time you understood how serious that is.

Thank you for responding to my post.

I know you probably see me as an irritating thief that does nothing but waste all my time being a menace, but that's not true. I do admit that this wasn't my first time taking something from a store, this was my second time (yes, I'm being serious and all-out honest). I'm an active youth member at my church (Ironic, right?) which participates in helping around the local community and I'm currently Vice President for a Chemistry project that does a lot of research on hazardous effects on the body from toxic substances and remedies for these types of situations. We are testing on lab rats and are comparing the slight outcomes that could occur in humans. I also lead discussions in the campus main meeting rooms with Chemistry teachers and colleagues.

You might think I'm a straight out bad person, but I'm not, honestly. I'm just pointing this out because some people on this forum are probably calling me an idiot that doesn't deserve to live.

Anyways, thank you for your somewhat positive comment. I appreciate the feedback.

You could of course get a job and pay your bills. Apparently that seems a bit beneath you.

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Quoting Disagreeable

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You could of course get a job and pay your bills. Apparently that seems a bit beneath you.

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And if you read carefully you would've saw that I DO in fact HAVE a job. It is kind of hard making $600 a paycheck (every two weeks) and having to pay rent that is $400/month and paying for my college loans $125/month (this is with the interest rate). I have $75 leftover for food and gas for the car (I barely use the car and bike around campus, but I need it when I go on long trips).

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The above doesn't equate to $75, I submitted the post too early, but I do owe other fees other than just paying for living in the apartment.

If you are not smart enough to consider that you cannot afford to attend school and use that to justify being a thief, hopefully God saves patients from you.

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Quoting Disagreeable

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If you are not smart enough to consider that you cannot afford to attend school and use that to justify being a thief, hopefully God saves patients from you.

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Why, thank you kind sir! And in return for your kind and non-sarcastic words (counter sarcasm *wink *wink) I hope that God keeps people like you alive because we obviously need more people like you in the world. :)

I agree. Now if we can get rid of the crooks and thieves, we will be on the return to prosperity as a country.

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Quoting mtheos

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Why, thank you kind sir! And in return for your kind and non-sarcastic words (counter sarcasm *wink *wink) I hope that God keeps people like you alive because we obviously need more people like you in the world. :)

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Quoting Disagreeable

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I agree. Now if we can get rid of the crooks and thieves, we will be on the return to prosperity as a country.

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Don't forget those negative critics that discourages middle-classed American citizens into believing that first-time offenders can't be changed. Alas, we see corruption of mankind and its defaulted generalizations on an imperfect person. A first-time offender I can easily slip on by, but a second or third-time offender? That's a different story to be told. And... we can all agree here already that greedy politicians have a significant amount on our prosperity as it already is, don't you agree? So, are these politicians themselves a thief that steals "legally?" Now that's a question to be considered.

Really, you have already admitted to 2 thefts. You are not a first time offender and do not fall into the category of those you seek to protect. What is going to be wonderful is the song and dance you give the licensing board to explain your criminal record.

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Quoting mtheos

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Don't forget those negative critics that discourages middle-classed American citizens into believing that first-time offenders can't be changed. Alas, we see corruption of mankind and its defaulted generalizations on an imperfect person. A first-time offender I can easily slip on by, but a second or third-time offender? That's a different story to be told. And... we can all agree here already that greedy politicians have a significant amount on our prosperity as it already is, don't you agree? So, are these politicians themselves a thief that steals "legally?" Now that's a question to be considered.

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Quoting Disagreeable

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Really, you have already admitted to 2 thefts. You are not a first time offender and do not fall into the category of those you seek to protect. What is going to be wonderful is the song and dance you give the licensing board to explain your criminal record.

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And on goes the war. My first theft happened a while back when I was merely nine or ten years old and this one just happened recently. Now, I can't blame anyone if I'm just telling the truth, right? Anyways, punishment is what gets a man's act together they say. And a critic striving to win an argument over the Internet is just another plain old way to say dumb. Let's act like grownups and not start a conflict, child.

All I am doing is repeating the foolish arguments you present in an attempt to massage your own ego, to justify your actions. If you can't handle something such as a simple exchange, you won't make the first year of med school. Don't forget to let everyone know at church on Sunday also, hypocrite.

Hmmm.

Which one of the volunteers here is awaiting a court date for a criminal matter?

I do believe I'm hearing crickets chirping.

Now with that said, if you intend to go on to become a surgeon, check your state's licensing laws. A one-off petty theft shouldn't make you ineligible, but it's worth checking out before you spend thousands on an education you can't use.

To justify my actions? Oh boy. And, talking about my first year of med school... I already have 16 credits passed that is part of my requirements to graduate from med school and I'm acing tests from left to right; one B to be exact, but yes, acing tests from left to right. I'll give it to you, pre-med isn't one of the easiest field to go into, but once you get into it, you have to stick to it. Please, take your barking elsewhere.

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Quoting mtheos

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To justify my actions? Oh boy. And, talking about my first year of med school... I already have 16 credits passed that is part of my requirements to graduate from med school and I'm acing tests from left to right; one B to be exact, but yes, acing tests from left to right. I'll give it to you, pre-med isn't one of the easiest field to go into, but once you get into it, you have to stick to it. Please, take your barking elsewhere.

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Excuse me? No honey, that's not how this forum works.

YOU can feel free to pay an attorney to tell you what you want to hear. You DO realize that you're on a forum of volunteers, right?

In other words, we owe you absolutely nothing.

In addition, I literally did just tell everyone at my church and our Pastor, who initiated another baptism on me. I admit the truth that what I have done was wrong and frowned upon and actually had the guts to tell my whole church about it. It didn't take anyone to ask me questions to confess about it. I openly went up onto the podium and told everyone what I had done, and in return, I was forgiven. Is that enough for you? ;)

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Quoting Dogmatique

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Excuse me? No honey, that's not how this forum works.

YOU can feel free to pay an attorney to tell you what you want to hear. You DO realize that you're on a forum of volunteers, right?

In other words, we owe you absolutely nothing.

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You are so right! As of now, I'm officially done and will respectfully resign from this forum.
Please, if you're tempted, feel free to deactivate my forum account.

Truly yours,
The forum thread starter

LOL no, you really don't have to do that.

But seriously, we're all volunteers here. Sure, there's often snark mixed in with the legal info but you're dealing with a bunch of humans who have opinions whether or not the poster wants to hear those opinions.

Stick around. If nothing else, reading the archives (preferably those relating to your state and situation) can be a free education and you can learn an awful lot.

I'm gonna put it very bluntly.

Now is the time to discuss your career with not only your school counselor, but start looking at job boards - and see how many jobs require a Criminal Background Check.

I shoplifted 4.5 years ago and have been a volunteer here since. I got turned down for a $9.00/hr Data Entry position because of it. My current retail jobs are simply because I am an Independent Contractor. The manager of one store I merchandise really wants me in as a Store Employee, but she has now spent nearly a month on trying to get that approval to hire me.

PS: Don't even bother with the 3.8 gpa, church boy thing to the judge. It means you're smart enough to know that shoplifting is a crime, and religious enough to know it was also a crime of moral turpitude.

PS: Did you know shoplifting can even make it hard for you to find a new apartment?

Well, I just had my pre-trial today this morning and the DA dismissed my case because of my clean record and high GPA (especially in medical classes). I paid no fine and the DA told me to pay restitution to the store if the store demands it (still haven't gotten that civil demand letter yet)... Anyways, a question:

- If this would've gone on my record, would an ordinance violation retail theft differ from a misdemeanor retail theft? The DA told me if I would've gotten convicted, it wouldn't have affected my school career.

It should not have affect your school career. It should have affected your licensing. It seems to be a concern that someone with a theft record be entrusted with the ability to write scripts they could sell and have access to meds they could steal. Go Figure. The issue will remain on file. Hopefully, you will not repeat the mistake again.

That's not what I'm trying to ask for though... I'm asking how an ordinance violation retail theft differs from a misdemeanor retail theft. I heard ordinance violation retail thefts can't be expunged but isn't considered a crime, whereas a misdemeanor retail theft, you can get it expunged in 2 years but you may face higher charges and possible jail time. So, would it be better for somebody to have the misdemeanor instead considering you can expunge it rather than the ordinance violation?

You're the one telling us all what a smarty-britches you are. Look it up yourself.

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Quoting LawResearcherMissy

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You're the one telling us all what a smarty-britches you are. Look it up yourself.

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Oh wow. FYI, I'm a medical student, NOT a law student. I could probably use a search engine to look it up, but a lot of information online is misleading and some are not totally up-to-date so to speak.

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Good news, everyone!

Many positive outcomes have come after my case resolution:
- My case is dismissed.
- The Civil Demand (I called the store to find out) is only $50!
- The grocery store will allow me to come back in after showing proof of paying the civil demand.
- I spoke with 3 school counselors (all together) and they all told me that this case isn't going to affect my licensing! PhD, here I come!

Thank you so much Forum for replying back!
Off I go to live my life.
Truly yours,
Forum thread starter

PhD? Don't you mean MD first?

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PhD? Don't you mean MD first?

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Hah, nice catch.

Although, he could come back and try to convince us that he's in an MD/PhD program. Just like his Pastor immediately performed another baptism on him to absolve him of his sin! (Interesting church, that would misuse that sacrament in that fashion.) He's super special, you know.

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Quoting Dogmatique

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PhD? Don't you mean MD first?

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Well, that's my main objective that I look forward into achieving. I didn't say that I was going to skip my MD (which would be ridiculous) and go directly to getting a PhD.

And... my Pastor didn't immediately baptize me right away. It happened a week after the incident (before the court arrangement even began). How is baptizing me again a misuse of the practice of baptism? Many, and I mean MANY, people ask their Pastor to baptize them again for other religious reasons.

Say what you want, I'm really happy right now so I could care less. :)

Well, since you didn't learn a lesson this time....and a are a big fat liar....it won't be long until you are back to shoplifting.

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Quoting PandorasBox

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Well, since you didn't learn a lesson this time....and a are a big fat liar....it won't be long until you are back to shoplifting.

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Lying about...? Tell me. And, I love how you automatically know how I'm feeling personally and can tell that I didn't learn my lesson from this incident. Whatever you say, boss.

OK...here's evidence that you are not a truth teller...

Post 16 - "As of now, I'm officially done and will respectfully resign from this forum.
Please, if you're tempted, feel free to deactivate my forum account."

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Quoting Security Consultant

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OK...here's evidence that you are not a truth teller...

Post 16 - "As of now, I'm officially done and will respectfully resign from this forum.
Please, if you're tempted, feel free to deactivate my forum account."

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Well, well, well... someone did his research. Someone also doesn't understand sarcasm.

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Quoting mtheos

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Well, well, well... someone did his research. Someone also doesn't understand sarcasm.

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Someone doesn't understand his next shoplifting charge will cost him a ton of money and his medical licenses....

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Quoting PandorasBox

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Someone doesn't understand his next shoplifting charge will cost him a ton of money and his medical licenses....

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Coming from a shoplifter himself, so to speak. Ahem* Ahem*

I learned my lesson. You haven't.

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Ps...it's HERSELF.

And how do you know in fact that I haven't learned my lesson. How do I know you yourself haven't learned your own lesson? That's the thing about assumptions, ma'am. ;)

Smart asses usually go too far. I have not met one person from Illinois that doesn't know that we don't have DA's, we have ASA's. Show me a statute in the ILCS that turned a misdemeanor charge into an ordinance violation. Thirdly, retail theft can be expunged, but you'd have to wait 5 years, not two. You're sounding like more like troll than anything right now.

4.5 years later....no further charges. And I volunteer my time here to get it across to others that it's not a prank.....

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Quoting viol8te

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Smart asses usually go too far. I have not met one person from Illinois that doesn't know that we don't have DA's, we have ASA's. Show me a statute in the ILCS that turned a misdemeanor charge into an ordinance violation. Thirdly, retail theft can be expunged, but you'd have to wait 5 years, not two. You're sounding like more like troll than anything right now.

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*Sigh* Why do I even bother?

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Quoting thesouthern.com

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Thefts less than $150 in value can be misdemeanors or ordinance violations. If the thief is in high school, for instance, there is the possibility of a juvenile diversion program that protects the young adult's record. Theft of more than $150 in retail value is a felony - and that can result in a prison sentence.

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Source: http://thesouthern.com/news/local/se...887628484.html

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In addition: If you would've read more in-depth, you would've saw that it wasn't expunged! It was DISMISSED!