Accused of Shoplifting After Accidentally Pocketing Merchandise

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Quoting fleetfarmboycotter

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Thank you for NOT actually answering my question, but being judgmental jerks.:( Did you not read the part where the police officer was on my son's side?? I accidentally walked out of a store with a toy in my baby's hands once. I'm not a kleptomaniac. Neither is my son.

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Alrighty then :D

Your son should ask his public defender for clarification. He should also ask about diversion.

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Quoting fleetfarmboycotter

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The public defender told him the same thing about "hearing it all before" until my son explained to him in detail how it must have happened. My son said he changed his tune and believed him.
Alright, so I get that regardless, he probably won't be believed.
So, let me ask this please:
The public defender also told him if he pleads guilty now and pays the fine, it WILL go his record. If he takes it to trial and is found guilty, pays the fine, then it WON'T go on his record. Is this correct? Did my son misunderstand? It doesn't make sense to me. Sorry if these seem to be stupid questions. I'm in the medical field, not the legal.

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Your son is an adult. Let him handle his affairs. It's natural for you to want to support him but there comes a point where you need to simply sit back and let him deal with the consequences of his actions.

First, let me apologize for generalizing and calling you all judgmental jerks. I guess the completely unprofessional response from Ohiogal saying my son is not the sharpest knife just set me off. Here is an "alleged professional " offering free advice yet Ohiogal just goes off on a personal attack. Thanks for being the perfect example of what most people loathe about those in your profession, Ohiogal.! Have you ever offered good advice Ohiogal, or do you use this site as an avenue to take out your daily frustrations on people you have never met.? Perhaps if you would have been a little more professional you wouldn't be getting this type of response, but since you initiated the attack without any consideration at all, I felt inclined to respond. Thank you to those of you who actually did answer with actual advice. And I do realize it's all been heard before, that doesn't mean it isn't true, but there are exceptions to every rule. An example of that would be that most people are kind and caring, and Ohiogal is the exception to that rule.

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Quoting fleetfarmboycotter

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First, let me apologize for generalizing and calling you all judgmental jerks. I guess the completely unprofessional response from Ohiogal saying my son is not the sharpest knife just set me off. Here is an "alleged professional " offering free advice yet Ohiogal just goes off on a personal attack. Thanks for being the perfect example of what most people loathe about those in your profession, Ohiogal.! Have you ever offered good advice Ohiogal, or do you use this site as an avenue to take out your daily frustrations on people you have never met.? Perhaps if you would have been a little more professional you wouldn't be getting this type of response, but since you initiated the attack without any consideration at all, I felt inclined to respond. Thank you to those of you who actually did answer with actual advice. And I do realize it's all been heard before, that doesn't mean it isn't true, but there are exceptions to every rule. An example of that would be that most people are kind and caring, and Ohiogal is the exception to that rule.

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She's actually an attorney and GAL. You have absolutely no idea just how many children she's helped, and still fights for, every single day.

You are clueless, and the trait is apparently hereditary.

She fights for them with insults huh? Must be some new technique I haven't heard of yet. Good Day

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Quoting fleetfarmboycotter

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She fights for them with insults huh? Must be some new technique I haven't heard of yet. Good Day

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That's clearly your interpretation. Projecting much?

How else was I suppose to interpret it? She comes on with an insult and does not even answer the question. I'd say my interpretation is pretty spot on, at least in this case.
If she truly is helping kids everyday then I applaud her for it. I'm always in favor of helping kids who can not help themselves. I suppose you think it is perfectly OK the way she answered the question? (She provided an insult without an answer, read her reply again and tell me I'm lying!) Explain to me in what way her "advice" wasn't offensive.You won't because you can't without looking like you condone those actions. I suppose you think it is perfectly OK for her to answer in the manner in which she did. If someone insulted your kid in such a manner are you telling me wouldn't defend them? The way you are defending her lousy "advice" pretty much says if anyone offended you or your family you'd do anything you could to make them pay, don't deny it. She goes on an attack, I defend my son, then you come on and attack me for doing so? How does that work? Aaah Yes, the double standard of the elite 1%, you may attack me but how dare I fight back, right? Is that truly what you are saying? It sure appears that way.
Perhaps she thought I meant that my son was refusing to pay a court ordered settlement/fine, which is not the case. If found guilty of course he'd pay the fine. I find your behavior just as offensive as hers, at least in this situation. You are both out of line and you KNOW IT! You must know her and work with her, because so far I don't see anyone else here in these posts defending her completely unprofessional response. I came back with an insult of my own and generalized everyone who responded into the same category. After I settled down a little bit I came back and OWNED UP to my mistake and offered an apology because that's what a decent person does! Yet nothing but ye ole' crickets from her, Nothing, Nada, Zilch. Only more attacks from you. I certainly hope your attitude for your clients is better than your attitude in these forums, for their sake. Anything else offensive you have to say will do nothing more than prove my point. So go ahead and prove my point. Telling me I'm clueless and saying it is hereditary just makes you the epitome of what people don't like about your profession. You have nothing of value to add to the thread, only defending a person who replied with a completely offensive response. I'll offer some free advice of my own: Don't offer to give free advice if your intentions are nothing more then to reply with insults and then not even give an answer. Do you have an answer to my original question? If not why are you here, what is your goal? to make yourself APPEAR just offensive as her? Congratulations!! You've succeeded!!. You may now celebrate your victory of looking like a terrible person (once again, at least in this situation ONLY) with a trip to Disneyland! You speak of projecting to much? Look in the mirror.

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Quoting Dogmatique

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She's actually an attorney and GAL. You have absolutely no idea just how many children she's helped, and still fights for, every single day.

You are clueless, and the trait is apparently hereditary.

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Ok, I do not think that was fair. Of course he knows nothing about OG at all, because he doesn't know anything about her other than she insulted his son. Think about it? What if perfect stranger insulted someone you loved?

OP, to answer your original question:

They are not attempting to "fine" your son, they are making a civil demand. Basically what they are saying is that they have the right to sue him for damages because he attempted to shoplift and that caused them effort and cost. They are saying that if he pays the 150.00 they will not do so. Some attorneys say that people should never pay civil demands. One attorney described it to me as legal extortion. However, the risk of not doing so is that they will actually sue your son, and throw in legal fees and other costs.

If he is found not guilty, then they should not be able to win a lawsuit, but if he is found guilty, a lawsuit would be a slam dunk for them. I have never actually run across anyone who has been sued for not paying a civil demand, guilty or not guilty, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't happened.

She didn't "insult" anybody. All she did is express sketicism that the story was true, but answered it even based on the assumption that it was true.
It's the poster who flew off the handle and given her temperment, I suspect her son would do better getting assistance from someone else (like a lawyer) ... and yes that one WAS an insult.

Let's be real here: Ohiogal was being intentionally abrasive, and it's not a unique incident. I'll admit, I'm not always innocent of that offense, but I know what I'm doing, and I expect that Ohiogal does as well.