on may 3rd me and my friends were caught shoplifting in The Bay. It was my second time shoplifting and I know it was stupid and i dont know what i was thinking at that time at all. A security person caught us and called the police. The police came and called my parents. Me and my friends signed a 'notice prohibiting entry' stating that we are banned from any The Bays for 1 year. We also signed a 'notice of intended legal action' saying that "The Bay intends to seek full compensation from me in Civil Court for its financial losses from those alleged wrongful actions. The said financial losses include, but are not limited to: the cost of any merchandise taken, the cost of the investigator's time, the adverse impact on customers, the costs incurred in attempting to prevent such activity, and such other costs as may be deemed appropraite in the circumstance."
My dad signed the sheet and we were told that we will get a letter from the police in 2-3 weeks, and it will include the fines that we have to pay and maybe they will let me do community services instead of jail. Although i have stolen before but this was my first time caught, and the police officer told my dad that i will not be punished as severe as my friends since im a 'young offender' and a 'first-time offender'. My parents are separated and I live with my mom, but my dad asked them to sent the letter to him since we both know my mom cannot handle stuff like this well. Well it has been almost 4 weeks and there's still no response from the police or the bay or the court. I don't know if i should phone them or just wait for the letter, because my friend told me that they might've dropped the charges, but he's only 15 and he's not sure either. I wanted to ask my friends that were caught with me and they said that they've already recieved letters from the court and stuff. I am afriad that the reason they're taking so long is because they are trying to find out about my previous stealing since i stole at the same store... Also im worried that they got the wrong address, the police told me i have to do what the letter says in the specified amount of time or else they will come to my house and arrest me.
and also i want to know if this will be on my record permanantly. I read many articles online and some says it will be erased when I'm 18 and some says it will stay with me forever. I am still in junior high and im going to senior high this september. I have an average of 94% and is already registered for the IB diploma programme. I dont know if they will drop me out of the programme. I also want to know if i can still go to university/college and continue some post-graduate education. Also i was planning to work this summer, i dont know if i should tell them about this when they ask me for my criminal record. I dont know if i'm able to do office work or the 'higher educated' kind of work when i grow up. I was planning to be a doctor but i dont even know if i can become one anymore.... My friends said that most companies won't bother checking records but i dont want to lie and be found out later..I know i have done a lot of things wrong but i've changed, and i really hope this will not affect my future, or not as bad as i think...
I know i talk a lot and most of them is useless crap, but please help me!!!!!!!
And the amount i've stolen is $228, it was a purse, wallet, and necklace. I live in Canada and i dont know if the laws are the same or not....

