I am eighteen years old and live in New York. Yesterday my friends and I went shopping in New Jersey. We were joking around about shoplifting and irresponsibly tried to shoplift some clothing. We were caught on our way out and the store manager called the police. The officer wrote us up for a misdemeanor and said it would be on our permanent records. I am currently awaiting my court hearing forms to show up in the mail. This is my first offense, and the items I took came out to a total of $48.00. Is it possible to somehow remove this from my permanent record? Also, am I qualified for any diversion programs that can prevent a criminal record?

