Shoplifting At Belks

My question involves criminal law for the state of shoplifting. Yesterday a friend and I were caught for shoplifting in the state of North Carolina. We were charged with Felony Conspiracy and Larceny by anti-inventory device. I am a college student and I got caught the first time I shoplifted. My friend and I are both charged together and will have to go to court on May 9, 2008. It was stupid of us to do this. My friend was the one that told to try to steal them. She told me to take the security tag off of the items and hand them over to her. The items that I was going to lift is around $70 while my friend had a lot more over $100. But we are being tried the same, so does that mean I will have to be charged exactly like her? These are our first offenses. I was wondering in this case being that we are students, our first offense, and we know we did a stupid thing is there a chance that we could get our charge dropped or even lessened. Will I get kicked out of school? Will I lose finacial aid? Will I have to serve jail time? I do not know what I need to do. Someone please help. This was my first time and my last. If anyone who thinks they can help but may need a little more information, please ask. I need all the help I can get to not get charged with a felony.

Also when we were in the office of the store. The security officer told us we were not to be allowed in a Belk for the next 5 years. So does that mean that we have an warrent for us also? or is it a warning?

Q: But we are being tried the same, so does that mean I will have to be charged exactly like her?

A: Yes; based solely on your post, you had a conspiracy to steal going.


Q: Will I get kicked out of school? Will I lose finacial aid? Will I have to serve jail time?

A: All three are possibilities. Hire a lawyer.

Thank you for your information. What kind of lawyer would be best for this? Through the whole time I felt like I was being pressured and I was following everything she told me to do. I had no intent of stealing until my friend led me to it. Do lawyers work with you paying the bills? But the officers that I talked to while going though all the charges told me that I could be convicted of a misdemeaner and or go on probation while paying a high fine. If this is our first offense will we have a better chance of just a misdemeaner with a lot of community service, probation, and fine? I will do anything to not get kicked out of school or loose finacial aid.

A criminal defense Attorney

Is there any hope in this matter?

What are the steps that needs to be taken. Due to peer pressure, I committed two felonies. one for conspiracy while the other one is due to a new law, for taking off the sensors. I am a college student, just 20 years old. Do they look into my other record?!?!....I have nothing. My grades in school are decent. I was in the Honor College for awhile. My professors get along with me well. I am not a threat to anyone on campus. This event did not take place on campus. But am I still looking at getting expelled from school? Would I need a lawyer for the school hearing. If I do indeed have one to go to before I am expelled? Would I get probation instead. Can please tell me what I need to do in this case. My life is just starting. My parents cannot be informed about this while they are going through so much right now. Can some please help me, who knows or maybe has gone through something like this? PLEASE! I made a mistake, I know this. What other things do they consider before convicting me. If anyone has been through all this I would like other opinions. Please.

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Quoting worrier125

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Is there any hope in this matter?

What are the steps that needs to be taken. Due to peer pressure, I committed two felonies. one for conspiracy while the other one is due to a new law, for taking off the sensors. I am a college student, just 20 years old. Do they look into my other record?!?!....I have nothing. My grades in school are decent. I was in the Honor College for awhile. My professors get along with me well. I am not a threat to anyone on campus. This event did not take place on campus. But am I still looking at getting expelled from school? Would I need a lawyer for the school hearing. If I do indeed have one to go to before I am expelled? Would I get probation instead. Can please tell me what I need to do in this case. My life is just starting. My parents cannot be informed about this while they are going through so much right now. Can some please help me, who knows or maybe has gone through something like this? PLEASE! I made a mistake, I know this. What other things do they consider before convicting me. If anyone has been through all this I would like other opinions. Please.

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Well, you could start by taking responsibility for your own actions. If you go to court with a pocket full of excuses, things will go harder on you.

Honestly, the time to intelligently think about these options was BEFORE you started stealing.

You need an attorney, though you probably can not bring one to student court. You need to get your parents' help unless you can afford an attorney on your own.

I do take full responsibility. I should of had better judgement. But what are my options and what do they also consider. This is my first offense. I talked to the police officers. I cooperated with everyone fully while I was in custody. Do they look at the fact that I am in college. I never caused trouble before. I have learned for the better? I am going to talk to lawyers this coming Monday. I was also wondering if it would be better to notify the school and with them also to better my chances of not getting expelled not suspended from school?

Discuss what options are available with the Attorney youplan to speak to. ask about Diversion and if its available and if you qualify. do not tell your school anything until after you speak to Attorney and then only say what he/she directs you to

Thank you for your help! I appreciate it very much. I will keep up with this forum through everything. I talked to some other people earlier today. When I get an attorney from this district most of the time there have been cases that were resolved out of the courthouse. Could this be true for this case? Since the attorney should know the judges from this district? Also do you advise to get seperate lawyers and defense attorney of go ahead and get an attorney to represent both of us? I am afraid that in the end we will have different stories or something though I hope that does not happen. But the other people I am close to say not to get the same attorney as her. If we do not inform the school of our wrong doings does that mean that we can still call and ask for information about the procedures without giving our information? Or do you think that is a bad idea?

Once again thank you for your help.

You work with "your" Attorney on "your" case!