Retail Fraud / Shoplifting: Shoplifting from Shoprite in New Jersey

I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me some advice regarding what I am about to write. Any replies are greatly appreciated.

On the 15th of February, my roommate and I entered a Shop rite in Lawrenceville, NJ and while walking around decided to take a few food items and put it in my bag. These items were for both of us, but because I was the one with the largest bag, it was decided that I would be the one to take the items out of the store. I don’t really know what went through our minds as we did this, but as we neared the exit, a man in plain clothes flashed us a badge and asked us to follow him to the security room a few feet away.

The unfortunate thing is that neither of us had walked out of the store, but I believe that you don’t have to actually step outside for someone to stop you for shoplifting. While I was nearing the entrance, I stopped for a second at a display case and started thinking over in my head what I was actually doing. My roommate walked ahead of me because I think she felt her conscious was clean. I was the one with the bag that had the stolen food items on me, not her. I know that if I had been given just a minute or two longer, I would have “chickened” out and gone back into the store to put the items away. Unfortunately, my roommate kept walking towards the exit and that’s when the security guard stopped us.

We sat in a very very small room with two other people (the security guard and a woman whose nametag I did not see but I’m assuming she was a manager that spotted us first). I came clean immediately and showed them the items we had taken. They made us sit in the room while the security guard went and tallied up the items. It came to $24.48 for both of us. A police officer came, handcuffed us, and took us out of the store in front of everyone (this was extremely traumatic for us). My car was left in the parking lot and we were taken down to the police station. Our finger prints, pictures and information was taken and we each sat in an empty jail cell for about 40 minutes to an hour before being released.

My roommate and I are 21 and 20 respectfully. We are both in college and although at the time of this incident neither of us were employed, I was recently offered a job starting the 27th. Neither of us can afford going to jail because we have so many things to do concerning college (this is the very reason we did not have jobs for the last semester), but we are more then willing to pay fines and do community service.

I have an appointment with a private lawyer Wednesday (today) at 9:00AM to explain everything that happened.

If anyone would be so kind to answer, my questions are:

1) Our initial court date is the 27th of February. If anyone is familiar with NJ law, does anyone know an estimate of how long this case will take? How many times will my roommate and I have to go into court? We both have a packed schedule and really hope that we will not miss too much school because of this.

2) We were both handed a summons but nowhere on the form does it say if this is a petty disorderly person’s offense or a disorderly person’s offense. I vaguely remember hearing both these terms while in Shop rite but I don’t remember exactly which one we were charged with. Our original charge is N.J.S. 2C:20-11(2). What exactly is this charge considered?

3) Being desperate, I wrote a letter to Shop rite about what my roommate and I did and mailed it early Feb 20th. It was very long and I repeatedly asked Shop rite if there was anyway the two of us could settle this out of court. Was this a bad idea? I’m starting to think it was. I’m going to go try to pick it up at the post office at 8am today.

4) Has anyone had any experience with Honorable Paul Catanese, J.M.C? While sitting in the security office of Shop rite, the security guard started a pleasant little conversation with the manager/woman there and kept saying that Judge Cantanese was very strict on shoplifters.

5) I’m trying to retain a lawyer at the moment, but is there any way that I can speak to a lawyer that works inside the Municipal Court? Preferably the one that the court or judge will appoint my roommate and I if we are unable to retain the private lawyer I spoke about above?

6) How would I go about settling outside of court? I am willing to pay any fees that Shop Rite has and do everything in my power to keep this from going to court. I’m am deathly afraid of being incarcerated.

7) I read on this forum (this place has been a godsend) about something called a "municipal ordinance violation". What exactly is that?

I really appreciate any and all help. Thank you all so much.