First of all, this happened in Michigan.
Person enters a retail store. Locates a fan, like a box fan you use to stay cool. Opens the box, removes the fan and puts other contents into said box and exits store.
Person returns later after shift change and buys box.
Upon exiting the store they are confronted by two security guards, one of which is like 80, and the other who is a female. Now this guys a pretty good sized guy who he runs, gets to his car and gets away.
They get his plate though and a warrant is issued.
Well, not having any money and no job, he gets a court appointed attorney. Not that its important, but the only reason he was stealing was because he didn't have a job.
Anyway the court appointed attorney wouldn't return phone calls, wouldn't have a meeting etc. He saw him AT court. Well, he gets to court and basically gets railroaded.
His attorney tells him that unless he takes a plea for larceny from a building RIGHT NOW THIS VERY SECOND without any time to think about it, the prosecuting attorney is going to charge him with two counts of unarmed robbery, one count each for each security guard who tried to stop him.
The plea was taken to avoid the two count charge. The plea taken is still a felony though.
The person who took the plea is going to school to be a psychologist with LEO background and it would seem his life it pretty much screwed now.
This persons girlfriend is TA at one of the local university's, she works in the criminal justice department and spoke to some friends in the local prosecutors office that know the prosecutor where this happened and has been told this guy is ruthless at piling on charges.
At this point is seems like the whole thing is done. Sentencing is still to come though but is there anything that can be appealed here? If not how long will it take to get this removed from a persons record? It's a single felony count on a person who has NO record.
Just seems like the legal representation was very much lacking. The court appointed attorney didn't give a crap.

