Caught Shoplifting, Exceeds $400, California

[PandorasBox]

(1) GET A LAWYER. You will need one.

Your case is more complicated by you intending to leave the state at the end of the month. Do that - you can face an arrest warrant, and paying a bond to ensure you return for hearings and punishment.

Don't do it - just go to the other state - your troubles are gonna get worse.

You did the crime....now YOU call a lawyer tonight and leave that message. If mom won't help you, you're gonna have to pull on your Big Boy Panties and do it yourself.

[cyjeff]

In your opinion, how much do you think it will cost for a lawyer on this type of case? I will try to convince my mom to get a lawyer..

WAYYYYYY back in post #2, I quoted a figure of $5K... between court costs, fines, civil demands and legal fees for a felony bust, that's about right.

[Yaytina]

I called a lawyer and they said they will show up on Tuesday to talk to the detective if I'm willing to hire him, and he said he'll try his best to drop down the felony to a misdemeanor. He said he'll charge me $3,500, but if it's actually a felony like the police officer said, it will be a little more money.. Is this a good deal?
I'm trying to look for other lawyers, what do I ask for? He said moving out of state will be difficult for me but he said there's a chance that he is able to handle the case without me being there at the court once I move out of state or something like that.

And he said he'll try to remove all charges against me, etc etc.

I'm still so confused.........

[cyjeff]

I called a lawyer and they said they will show up on Tuesday to talk to the detective if I'm willing to hire him, and he said he'll try his best to drop down the felony to a misdemeanor. He said he'll charge me $3,500. Is this a good deal?
I'm trying to look for other lawyers, what do I ask for? He said moving out of state will be difficult for me but he said there's a chance that he is able to handle the case without me being there at the court once I move out of state or something like that.

And he said he'll try to remove all charges against me, etc etc.

I'm still so confused.........

My figure included fines and court costs as well.

Always shop around.

[Yaytina]

I am really scared about everything. This is a lot of money for a stupid mistake. I've learned my lesson, thanks everyone for helping.

Do I have a chance of getting this resolved? I'm scared that even with a lawyer, I will get in bigger trouble.. Are there a lot of cases where a jevenile's felony charges got droped down to a misdeamenor? Or is it unlikely to happen?

I talked to another lawyer, and he said just go to the Police Station on Tuesday and talk with the detective. And he said there's a big chance they will let me go with a warning prior to my first offense as a juvenile. And if that doesn't happen, I can call him back and hire him for the court case. He said he will charge me $2,500 which is way cheaper than the other lawyers I've called. This lawyer said he will try his best to get me into a diversion program, in which I've been hearing a lot about..

Is this right? You guys have been telling me that I need a lawyer with me to talk to the detective, but this lawyer said otherwise.. I'm very confused, please help me..

[Baz744]

I am really scared about everything. This is a lot of money for a stupid mistake. I've learned my lesson, thanks everyone for helping.

Do I have a chance of getting this resolved? I'm scared that even with a lawyer, I will get in bigger trouble.. Are there a lot of cases where a jevenile's felony charges got droped down to a misdeamenor? Or is it unlikely to happen?

You won't get yourself into bigger trouble by lawyering up.

I can't say how likely it is that you'll get a favorable plea agreement in your case. All I can say for sure is that by retaining and having counsel present at all police interviews and court hearings, you increase your odds of getting a favorable plea bargain.

One thing to repeat: the police are not there to help you. In this context, you are accused of a serious crime, and the police are there to get you. That is their job. The detective is not your friend. He doesn't want to help you out. He wants to punish you because you are an accused criminal. The only person in the whole system who wants to help you is your paid, professional advocate.

You say you were given a piece of paper and that you "basically" admitted guilt. It is possible, for example, that this evidence might be excludable for any number of legal reasons. You may have already done a lot of damage to your legal case by not invoking your 5th Amendment privilege. But that doesn't make it reasonable or rational to waltz into the police station and do still more.

[Yaytina]

I understand what you're saying Baz.

I've called 2 lawyers.
1. He said he's willing to go to the Police Station and talk with the detective and do his best to drop all charges. Costing: $3,500.
2. He said just go to the detective and say you're sorry and you'll never do it again. He said it is likely that the detective will just give me a warning and let me go prior to my first offense and being a juvenile. AND he said if this doesn't happen, I can call him and hire him for $2,500 and he'll try his best to set up a diversion program for me.

[Baz744]

I am really scared about everything. This is a lot of money for a stupid mistake. I've learned my lesson, thanks everyone for helping.

Do I have a chance of getting this resolved? I'm scared that even with a lawyer, I will get in bigger trouble.. Are there a lot of cases where a jevenile's felony charges got droped down to a misdeamenor? Or is it unlikely to happen?

I talked to another lawyer, and he said just go to the Police Station on Tuesday and talk with the detective. And he said there's a big chance they will let me go with a warning prior to my first offense as a juvenile. And if that doesn't happen, I can call him back and hire him for the court case. He said he will charge me $2,500 which is way cheaper than the other lawyers I've called. This lawyer said he will try his best to get me into a diversion program, in which I've been hearing a lot about..

Is this right? You guys have been telling me that I need a lawyer with me to talk to the detective, but this lawyer said otherwise.. I'm very confused, please help me..

If you trust his advice, roll with it. He's an attorney in your local jurisdiction, and probably knows local practices better than we do.

Now you have to analyze the problem, and only you can come up with the answer that's right for you.

On the one hand, if you go to the police, confess, apologize, and say you'll never do it again, there's an increased chance they'll drop the charges altogether. Another advantage of this route is that you save some money at least in the short term, and may avoid having to hire a lawyer at all. But if you do that, you're pretty much handing your legal case over to the prosecution on a silver platter, and if they do decide to press charges, you'll be completely at the prosecution's mercy. If you think you're scared now, wait until an indictment or information gets handed down for "felony larceny," and you know you've confessed to it not once, but twice.

On the other hand, if you hire a lawyer and have him present at the police interview, you signal to the police that you're serious about protecting your rights, and you diminish the chance that you'll hand over your case on a silver platter. But you risk pissing off the authorities, and they might be less lenient with you than they would otherwise be because you decided to put up a fight. And, you have to spend a lot of money right off the bat.

I'm old, jaded, and cynical. I don't trust anyone to give me a break anymore, so I'd expect the worst out of the police anyway. I'd hire a lawyer just because I know nobody's looking out for me in this world but me (and my paid, professional advocate). But that's the right answer for me.

You're young, and maybe the authorities will be more willing to give you a break for that reason alone. Maybe the first choice is the right answer for you.

It occurs to me that your on scene confession might be very excludable, because you are a juvenile, and were presumably interrogated outside the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

Just a thought.

[Yaytina]

Baz, thanks so much!

I'm taking your advice and I'm going to hire a lawyer to be present with me at the police station to speak with the detective. I mean it's $3,500, probably alittle more, I can remake this money by working at my mom's bf's store.. It's better than nothing right?

[Baz744]

Baz, thanks so much!

I'm taking your advice and I'm going to hire a lawyer to be present with me at the police station to speak with the detective. I mean it's $3,500, probably alittle more, I can remake this money by working at my mom's bf's store.. It's better than nothing right?

Good luck to you. I just hope you make the right choice for you. Bear in mind, too, that either lawyer can help you into a diversion program.