
Quoting
Worried Michigan Mom
MICHIGAN:
Any idea what kind of a penalty my 16-year-old son would get for a second shoplifting offense? And should we request a court-appointed attorney, even if he admits doing it and pleads guilty?
He stole a candy bar from a neighborhood gas station when he was 13, and he got off pretty easy, with 3 months probation and a fine, with the penalty decided by a teen (peers) court for first-time offenders.
We forbade our son from ever going back to that gas station, but last week he went there again and shoplifted a few food items (value: under $5). He was arrested, read his rights, and I allowed the police to quesiton him. He omitted stealing the items and was released to our custody. This happened 2 days ago, and we haven't heard anything further from authorities yet.
My husband and I want him to be punished for what he did, but does he need an attorney? We certainly can't afford one. We have a big family and not a very big income.