Shoplifting at Target in Virginia

Hi, I was caught shoplifting in target in virginia, i'm 18 years old and I had my four month son with me. I was getting a crock pot for my mother because I had broken hers and I had my son's carseat in the basket of the cart because i dont find it safe to be on to and i had his diaper bag on top so i put the crock pot on the bottom. Well, I got him an outfit and some baby food and I went to pay and he was fussing and I'm rushing trying to get out of there because he wouldn't stop crying and people were staring at me like "she's such a bad mother" and so I paid and I JUST walk out the doors and I get on the side walk and this guy comes up behind me telling me to stop and asked to see my receipt so I gave it to him and he said you stole that crock pot and i just replied with oh shit because I didn't even think about it and i walked back in and i was heading to the register to pay for it and he said no no you come with me so i followed him to the office and he said is there anything else on you that you want to give back and I said the jacket I was wearing was stolen and he said i know what else you have so just give it to me and we can get this over with and i said what do i have and he said open your diaper bag please ma'am and so i did and i let him look around and i pulled everything out for him and he took diaper rash creame which I had purchased previously and he added that to the crock pot and jacket theft and my total theft came out to be 53.04 and he told me that was an amount to be considered a misdemeanor and he'd have to call the county police so i waited and the baby is crying and crying and I had to sign a paper stating i'd appear in court in week and a paper saying the items that he took from me. The cop told me that since i had my son with me and there was diaper rash creame in his diaper bag, then i was using my son to steal, which isn't the case, and that she's calling child protective laws on me and that I could spend possibly a year in jail. So I'm freaking out because I didn't intentionally steal the crock pot, i mean.....it's a crock pot. Come on. I cant go a day without seeing my son and I don't know what I'll do if it comes down to it. I don't have money to get a lawyer and I don't think I'll qualify for the court appointed lawyers because I know I don't qualify for legal aide and I don't know what to do. I'm scared and I've been crying non-stop since then. I'm willing to plead guilty with them knowing it wasn't intentional. I'm a good mother so i have no worries that I'll be found unfit but this makes me feel awful that someone would think i'd do this to my child. There was no arrest made or anything. Just signed some papers and they told me to leave. I'm banned from the property for a year and after a year if I want to come back the LP guy told me I had to write him a letter or call him and ask. This is my first offense, they did a background check and I'm clean. The cop told me that the least I'll get is 30 days of jail time and they could suspend that 30 days on good behavior. I really need help fast. My first appearance in court is in six days (on March 20th) and the cop said they'll just say i'm charged with shoplifting and what do I plead. I know i'll have to pay the store three times the amount of what was stolen and then court costs and really, i don't have the money for that.

Petition the court for a court-appointed lawyer. If you don't qualify, get your family to help you out.

Are court-appointed lawyers as good? I heard that they don't give your case very much attention. I'm scared to death for my first appearance coming up. 2 days to go. My hair is even falling out now. It's noticable too....and that scares me.

What are the usual consequences for first offenses?
The LP guy told me that my total was 53.04 and that "qualifies" as a misdemeanor..so, if it's not over 50 dollars then it's not a misdemeanor? I dont understand what constitutes qualification of a misdemeanor. I don't think he should've said the crock pot was theft. Why didn't the cashier or the bagger say "hey you forgot that". It was in plain view the whole time. The bagger was looking at me the whole time too. After I filled out the papers, they wouldn't even let me pay for it. So I didn't get it. I seriously hate Target. But they had good sales.

Also...if I can get the judge to rule that the crock pot was an honest mistake, which it was, can my charge be reduced? I don't know if there is anything below petty larceny though...and is there a difference between larceny and theft?

"I seriously hate Target. But they had good sales."

More issues than National Geographic....

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Quoting hmarshall88

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Are court-appointed lawyers as good?Some are some arent its a coin toss I heard that they don't give your case very much attention.If you want someone to pay attention to you then you pay them! I'm scared to death for my first appearance coming up. 2 days to go. My hair is even falling out now. It's noticable too....and that scares me.

What are the usual consequences for first offenses?
The LP guy told me that my total was 53.04 and that "qualifies" as a misdemeanor..so, if it's not over 50 dollars then it's not a misdemeanor? I dont understand what constitutes qualification of a misdemeanor. I don't think he should've said the crock pot was theft. Why didn't the cashier or the bagger say "hey you forgot that". It was in plain view the whole time. The bagger was looking at me the whole time too. After I filled out the papers, they wouldn't even let me pay for it. So I didn't get it. I seriously hate Target. But they had good sales.

Also...if I can get the judge to rule that the crock pot was an honest mistake, which it was, can my charge be reduced? I don't know if there is anything below petty larceny though...and is there a difference between larceny and theft?

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Fact you walked out of Target with unpaid for merchandise thats theft! Yor intent cannot be proven nor is it an excuse for the law! Here is what your likely to be looking at

.Fines (under $1000.00)
.Comminity Service
.Possible ban from all Targets
.2 - 3 years informal probation

Now unrelated to court ther eis also Civil Demand. You should get a letter demanding monies (normally around $200.00) this as stated is unrelated to court it s Civil action. You can pay it all at once or make payment arrangments

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Quoting PaulE

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"I seriously hate Target. But they had good sales."

More issues than National Geographic....

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Crikey! What a crock! :D

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Quoting hmarshall88

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....Also...if I can get the judge to rule that the crock pot was an honest mistake, which it was, can my charge be reduced?.......

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Aren't you forgetting about the jacket?

One item....possibly an "honest mistake". TWO items...let's just say that pretty much verifies your intent.

I would strongly suggest not trying the "honest mistake" ploy out with the judge!

mens rea guys, where's the mens rea?

just kidding.


If you were wearing a jacket you were stealing, you're pretty much screwed. I know, the exxcuse for that; I didn;t have enough hands and the cart was full with the other stuff I was stealing. I really intended on paying for the jacket. I just forgot I was wearing it."

go back and read seniorjudges post and when you get into court, ask for an attorney to be appointed. If you fit the guidlelines the court sets to be eligible, you will be appointed one. If not, you are either going to face this pro se or you're going to have to borrow the money to pay for an attorney.

concerning public defenders:

Aaron (moderator supreme and administrator) posted a bit on this not too long ago. I don;t remember where it was so would have trouble finding it.

Maybe he will post a link to it.

I didn't have a cart full of stuff I was stealing. And maybe you didn't understand me when I asked about the charge being reduced. The crock pot was in view the whole time and the bagger was standing right beside me. She should've said something. Yeah, I was in the wrong with the jacket and I regret it and I'm sorry, but you can't tell me you've never done something you regret. I'm not trying to make any excuses for what I did, I'm just trying to get out of going to jail. I'll do community service, take those stupid classes, be on probation, where I friggin' sign in public, I don't care about that, I just can't leave my son. Maybe you've never been in a desperate situation where you don't have money but I have. I felt desperate and I guess it got the best of me. My fiance' left me when my child was a month old and so I had to move back in with my parents and try paying off doctor bills and buying everything myself, and it's hard. I'm trying my best and I'm doing what I can. I don't care if you understand and I don't care whether or not you give a shit. I came on here simply to ask people who have been in my situation what to expect. Don't reply to this if you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

The likihood of going to jail on a first offense is almost zero