My friend and I went to Kohls in Avon, Ohio and shoplifted a few items. I had one t-shirt, I think about $18.99 and she had a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, I'm pretty sure it was under $20. The loss prevention man came out to the parking lot and told us he had the tags and the empty hangers and if we just came back inside he wouldn't call the police. We went back in and were taken to a dressing room (since the shirts were on our bodies, but she had the shorts in her bag) and we gave the merchandise back. Then he took our information and took our pictures and had us sign a paper saying we'd never return to any Kohls in the country again. But because my friend didn't have her I.D on her, they said that he had to call the police in case she was lying about her information.

The cop came, and immediately put us in handcuffs and took our bags and searched them. We figured because she had used her in taking the clothes. The cop had found my pot pipe and she, too, had a pipe and a small bag of pot on her. So obviously we were taken to the station, we were fingerprinted and had our pictures taken.

She got three tickets, possession, paraphernalia and shoplifting. I got paraphernalia and shoplifting.

My court date is on tuesday at 9 a.m. This is my first offense, I've never been arrested or anything terrible happen to me. I'm 21 and I cannot let my family know about this, it would crush them and I couldn't do that. So what I want to know is what's going to happen to me? I've researched some of it and so far I've found that I could go to jail for up to 6 months. I'm ok with fines, even though we're both unemployed (I do have a job lined up though) but I'm terrified to go to jail because I have no way of telling my family where or why I'd be going away.

So my question is am I going to go to jail? I'm too poor to afford a lawyer so all I can rely on is a public defender, is that good enough?