QUESTION
20 years old, first time retail theft offender; my employer is saying I caused a loss of $6,000. Plead guilty or no contest? I don't want jail time
Asked on Mar 09th, 2020 on Criminal Law - Illinois
More details to this question:
A couple days ago, I was accused of retail theft by my employer, for causing $6,000 + in loss over the course of 6 months of employment. I know I didn't steal that much merchandise, and this is my first time offense. I'm going back to the AP office to try and contest that amount before my court date. I'm 20, and a college student. Should I plead guilty or no contest to try to avoid jail time and qualify for expungement? I've already agreed to pay restitution to the company.
1 ANSWER
1 Award
First of all, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. Please be mindful of that whenever you're talking to your employer, law enforcement, or posting online.
There is no way to answer your question whether to fight the case or work out a deal based on what you've posted. (Don't post any more details).
Every case is different. Any good criminal defense lawyer cannot evaluate the strength of any one given case without looking at the police reports, photos or video the prosecutor has, hear your side of the story, etc.
The best advice is to shut up and lawyer up ASAP.
Plenty of good criminal defense lawyers offer free consultations so you can decide on the best course of action for yourself.
Good luck to you.
Answered on Mar 29th, 2020 at 10:27 AM