I've spoken to a few attorneys.

The first lawyer I spoke to was an ex-prosecutor with a lot of experience in the field. He basically gave me the worst case scenario that I'm facing and said he can definetly get me off of a conviction for a total retainer of $3800 dollars. He basically told me that a lawyer must actively file for a pre-trial diversion for me to get admitted, in the city of shoreline. It seemed like he was giving me a bunch of BS to scare me into hiring him, so I told him I'd consult with some friends then gave him a call back.

The second lawyer I spoke to said that Costco has a policy of not compromising misdemeanors. This guy told me that basically the only way for me to avoid a conviction is to go to trial and plead not guilty, then work out some kind of plea bargain with the prosecutor. He told me that if I needed his help, his retainer would be $2000 dollars.

Lastly, the third lawyer I spoke with sounded like a fresh graduate out of law school. We had a pleasant chat and he told me that, in his words, "for 60 bucks the company might not even file charges". This guy seemed the most honest out of the three, and told me that I should call Costco and speak to the LP officer and possibly just persuade them into not filing charges period. He told me he's handled two shoplifting cases before and he's gotten compromised misdemeanors. He also promised me that although he has a flat fee of $2000 for misdemeanors, he will go with me to my arraignment should I get the court notice for no charge; and basically give me advice as to what I should do. Again, in his words, "if the case looks ridiculous easy at your arraignment and you want to hire me, we can work out a deal that wont cost you an arm and a leg."

The third lawyer also said that he might be able to work out a misdemeanor compromise with Costco, even after I informed him that it is against their policy. He said that stores have that policy to deter shoplifters, but he might be able to work something out with the Costco lawyers, "since it was only 60 bucks". Also this last guy didn't know what a pre-trial diversion is, so he couldn't advise me on if Shoreline had one.