Eighteen-Year-Old Caught Shoplifting in Indiana

[jethro1234]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Indiana
Hi.
I'm 18 and was caught shoplifting in Indiana at a Walmart. this is my first time and it was $50 worth of stuff. I was not arrested but they took me into a room and asked for my address and stuff. they told me I would get a letter that said had to appear in court. I don't know what to do I'm so scared. what do I do??? will they put me in jail??? I don't have any money to hire an attorney or anything I can't let my mom know about this she'd have my head on a silver platter. Any advice would help thank you.

[flyingron]

If you get a letter to appear in court, get an attorney.
You can expect for sure to get a letter from Walmart's "lawyers" demanding civil restitution for the grief you cause them.

[jethro1234]

How do I get an attorney?

[flyingron]

Look under L in that big yellow book under the phone.

Call your county bar and ask for a referral. List of county bars in Indiana: http://www.inbar.org/?page=local_bars

[jethro1234]

in sorry if I'm being annoying but will they charge me? I really don't have the money for a private attorney

[flyingron]

If they said you're going to get an order to appear in court, it means that they believe charges are coming. Of course, they may have been blowing smoke. It's not the store that ultimately makes the decision, it is society that is harmed by your criminal act and the state decides when and if it will prosecute you.

Until you are actually charged, a lawyer will tell you to keep your mouth shut (if approached by the police or prosecutor refuse to say anything to them unless you have an attorney). If you are really indigent rather than just unwilling to pay for an attorney, if you are actually summonsed to court, ask for a public defender.

[jethro1234]

I'm not actually a resident of Indiana so they called a sheriff to see if my address was right (just here for school) does that mean I was arrested? Do they have to tell you if you've been arrested?

[flyingron]

No. If you get paperwork telling you that you have to be in court on such and such a date to address the theft complaint then you've been charged. If they just want to verify your address, it's possible they just want to know where to have their "lawyers" send the civil demand letter. That's distinct from criminal prosecution.