My sister and I shoplifted. It was a stupid thing we've been doing for a month now. We just never got caught and kept on wanting more things. The point is, now we've been caught. We're from New York; I stole $210 worth of costume jewelry (I'm 17) and she stole $43, but she's 20. This is our first offense. We're like the goody two shoes of America. I guess we just wanted to do something ridiculous and "against the rules" for once and now we're paying for it, but it just sucks.
Anyway, it was a department store; they gave us a court date. I have no idea how this is all going to work out and I have so many questions. a) Do my parents HAVE to be there, can 1 parent just be there, or can no parents be there? The security said it looks better to the judge with them there. b) If i plead guilty, will they still go over the details and make me explain things, because I dont want my mom hearing it if she's there. And will they show the security tape? I DONT want her seeing it. If i plead guilty will they have to show it? c) My sis and I had scissors with us. Is intent important--should we try to say we just had them with us (I know, a really really hard lie to believe, who walks around with scissors in their bags) or does it not matter if we brought them specifically to cut tags? Can we get off with just probation and a fine, will we both get misdemeanors (just like disorderly conduct or petty larceny???), or will she get a misdemeanor DEFINITELY because she's over 17? And how should we act? Remorseful or without emotion?
What can we get away with lying about? (THE SCISSORS!) Will I get more responsibility because i took over $200?
Will the judge ask me why I took the jewelry? What should I say? Should I say just because I wanted to see if i could get away with it, or because i never have pretty things like that and for once I wanted to have them so I did a crazy one-time stupid thing?
Please tell me EVERYTHING you guys know about this. I really am a good person who made a stupid mistake--who will learn from it. I just don't want to have to pay (with a misdemeanor) for the rest of my life for teenager misguided pure stupidity. Plus, it was all my idea. My sister, I felt so bad. I dont want her suffering for what I did. She even wanted to take the blame, saying "is there any way only I can take responsibility for this?" She cannot get a misdemeanor. It really feels so crazy. I kept pinching myself in that room. That was not us in that room. I can't stop shaking right now. It feels like the end of the world. That's why I need to know what to do to fix this mess. I need help. Please.