Shoplifting in Pennsylvania

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Pennsylvania

I've been beating myself up all day for the very ignorant thing I've done: tried to steal some cold medicine because I was sick and couldn't afford paying almost $11 for it.

I received a Retail Theft Summary Offense citation, and yes I know that it stays on your record. My questions are these:

- Is there any way the charges can be dropped? I know for speeding tickets the charges are dropped if the officer doesn't show, does the same apply here and how likely is it to work?

- Is there any way at all that I can have my record cleaned? I heard a lot about people talking about the ARD program but many say you can't get it for a summary offense.

I absolutely need to at all costs remove this from my records. If not, I won't be able to get a job because all of the employers in my field of work require a background check and for you to be clean. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

To get a complete understanding of your local options and local sentencing practices, you need to consult a local criminal defense lawyer.