Diversion Programs for First Offense Shoplifters

[steelersnation]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Utah

I am 16 and I was recently caught shoplifting for the first time. I have a court date set for December 20, and I was looking to get into a Diversion program. Should I call the courthouse now to see if I can get into one before the court date, or should I ask the judge about that on the day of my court date, and if so what should i plea?

[PandorasBox]

See the answer in your original thread.

You need to talk to your parents and they can get a lawyer for you.

Until you are 18 - No lawyer is going to take you on as a client without a parent present. No judge will listen to you without a parent present. In fact, try to do this without parental guidance - you may find the situation gets worse. Bring your parents into this TODAY, ok? Because if you don't bring your parents into it yourself - the prosecutor and judge will. More money for your parents to spend on your crime, and you may find yourself in a Juvenile Detention Center.

Also...there will be a Civil Demand Letter in the mail. Now before you decide to camp out by the mailbox:
(1) Your parents are gonna get really suspicious when you take on a new chore for the next day, week, or few months.
(2) If the Civil Demand letter is not paid... the fine increases for three letters. Then they take your parents to Civil Court, win a judgment, add in their legal fees, and can ruin your parents credit rating.

So really...your options are:
(1) My parents are gonna be mad, but I need their help or I'm in even deeper trouble, and gonna be ruining their credit history. I can tell them now, and also be an adult - get a job, or atleast deliver newspapers, babysit, shovel snow, to pay them for my crime....

(2) I can be a wuss and make things worse on my parents and myself.

What's it gonna be?

[steelersnation]

My parents already knew about this the day it happened, so its not like I'm trying to hide anything from them. They're coming with me to my court date, I'm just trying to figure out what to plea and what i should do to get into a diversion program.

[PandorasBox]

You need to talk to your parents about everything including a lawyer and diversion programs.

If I were you...aside from just talking to your parents....I'd be applying for a part time job at McD's, etc. So your parents and the court know you have every intent of paying the costs of your crime back to your family, since they are stuck with the costs for now.