My question involves criminal law for the state of: Michigan.
Two days before Christmas, I was arrested for shoplifting, which is a misdemenor for under 200 dollars. The total was something around 39.00 $. This is my first offence, and really, totally out of character for me.
For my pre-trial, I went to court, and was really kind of manipulated into filing a YTA. At the time, I didn't really know what it meant, but agreed to it anyways. I went to a screening, where I was told I would be drug tested upon going to court for my actual sentencing. When reading on this forum, I fould out that a YTA is essentially a dismissal of charges after successfully completing probation. I am already being asked to pay 535 dollars in court fees, upon my sentencing trial which is this Tuesday.
Had I known this, I never would have agreed to this for several reasons; I can't afford probation for a year, in addition to the already insane amount of money they are asking me to pay. I have no liscense, and apart from my part time job, I have no other form of income. Not to mention that probation for a year, in order to get a charge dropped that will essentially unaffect my life at this point just seems insane and unnessicary to me. I suppose what I'm asking, is if I could change my plea, and accept my charge, and by doing this, would I still avoid probation?
I've learned my lesson from my crime, which happened so long ago, and all the reprocussions from it are truly, and literally destroying the life I have built for myself. As an eighteen year old, this has stopped me from being able to pay for my college classes, and having to pay the fees from being drug and alcohol tested (which, I'm clinically allergic to alcohol, so again unnessicary) are going to rip me a new one.
I need advice on how to handle this case, urgently. I feel like I made a mistake, because I didn't have a lawyer- but of coarse, who could afford one.

