QUESTION

What are the fines and will she get probation for stealing?

Asked on Dec 23rd, 2012 on Criminal Law - California
More details to this question:
My 14-year old was caught stealing at a mall and they caught her with merchandise from four different stores.
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8 ANSWERS

Thomas Edward Gates
She likely will be sentenced to attend a consumer awareness class, do community service, pay a fine, make restitution, and have no further criminal violations. Probation is normally 1 year. She will also have to pay a civil fine to the respective stores.
Answered on Dec 30th, 2012 at 12:18 PM

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Divorce & Separation Attorney serving Baton Rouge, LA at George E. Downing, Jr. Attorney at Law
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She will probably get probation and may have to take classes and reimburse the stores for any damaged merchandise
Answered on Dec 30th, 2012 at 12:18 PM

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Criminal Law Attorney serving Oakland, CA at Law Office of Jared C. Winter
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Fines vary from court to court. For a 14 year old, probation is practically guaranteed for stealing from stores in the mall. You should consider hiring a criminal defense lawyer to represent her in court. If you can't afford to hire a lawyer, she will have one appointed when she goes to court. Whoever the lawyer is, they will be able to give you more information.
Answered on Dec 28th, 2012 at 1:43 PM

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Michael J. Breczinski
She will be taken to juvenile court and at the very least put on probation and given counseling. Does she realize that stealing if done when they go on a person's adult record, can make it hard for her to get a job when she grows up? What employer wants to hire a thief?
Answered on Dec 28th, 2012 at 1:23 PM

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Traffic Ticket Attorney serving Eureka, MO at The Rogers Law Firm
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If you hire an attorney to represent your daughter, and if she has no prior convictions, then the attorney can possibly negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecutor to get the shoplifting charges reduced to "Littering." She will probably have to attend a "theft offenders" class and pay a fine and court costs, and the stores in the mall will probably ban her from ever entering their stores again. If she has prior convictions, then the best deal her attorney can get for her would be unsupervised probation. If she successfully completes probation, then the original charges would be dismissed. This advice is based on my experience with courts and prosecutors in the St. Louis area. In some courts in other parts of Missouri, no deal is offered and the shoplifter has to spend 1-2 days in jail. Of course, that only applies to adults, rather than a juvenile.
Answered on Dec 28th, 2012 at 1:22 PM

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Appellate Attorney serving Grosse Pointe Farms, MI at Musilli Brennan Associates, PLLC
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Get an attorney and seek to keep this off her permanent record where it will follow her for the rest of her life and make sure she learns her lesson, otherwise it will be a waste of your time and money.
Answered on Dec 28th, 2012 at 1:22 PM

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Drug Charges Attorney serving Houston, TX at Cynthia Henley
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Is it her first offense? Was it more than $50? (So is she charged in juvenile court or municipal court?)? No matter the answer to most of those questions, she is likely to get probation. For a juvenile, it is not about the fine (which would mean you paying - which does not teach her) but about getting her attention. One of the big questions the court / prosecutor will have is what have you done about what she has done? Has she been punished at home or is it life as usual? She will likely have to do community service, stay in school, have a curfew, no unexcused absenses.
Answered on Dec 28th, 2012 at 1:21 PM

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Criminal Defense Attorney serving Alhambra, CA at Francis John Cowhig
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She is probably looking at 4 counts of petty theft/shoplifting. Depending on the amount allegedly stolen and the jurisdiction where the event occurred, shoplifting can be met with a mere citation (infraction), or charged as a misdemeanor or even a felony, with possible jail sentences of 6 months to 3 years. It will be up to the D.A. to determine how the crime will be charged. The fact that she was caught with merchandise from 4 different stores is not going to help her. The good news, if there is such a thing, is that she will probably be charged as a juvenile where the penalties are not as severe. I strongly suggest that you contact an experienced criminal defense attorney for a face-to-face consultation and give him/her all of the facts surrounding your child's case. He/she would then be in a better position to analyze her case and advise you of her options.
Answered on Dec 28th, 2012 at 1:20 PM

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