What will happen if I got caught stealing for less than 500.00?

I am assuming that you were caught 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. I suggest that you hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to represent you and get you the best deal possible.

You need to plead NOT guilty. This is because if you plead guilty then you give up all bargaining power. Get a lawyer. See if you can get into a program where you end up with no conviction for theft on your record. These records are FOREVER so this is huge. What employer wants to hire a thief?

Petty theft is a crime of moral turpitude, and if convicted you can kiss your career aspirations goodbye. Hire a lawyer before you get duped into a plea you will regret for life.

In Washington, you committed a gross misdemeanor with a sentence range of 364 days in jail. As a first offense, you will likely be sentenced to attend a consumer awareness class, do community service, pay a fine, pay restitution, stay away from the store, have no further criminal violations, and be on probation for one year. You will also have to pay a civil fine to the store. If there is a diversion program, take it.

Theft of items or money of a value of less than $950.00 is petty theft. The first three times a person is convicted of petty theft it is a misdemeanor. However, if the amount stolen is worth $50.00 or less it may be charged as an infraction. If you have three or more priors for petty theft, the next one can be a felony or a misdemeanor. Infractions are punished by a fine. Misdemeanors are punished by up to one year in the county jail and/or up to a $1,000.00 fine. Felonies are punished by sixteen months, two years, or three years in state prison. The normal punishment for first time petty theft is three years summary probation, a fine, community service, theft classes, and restitution to the victim.

Max penalty: 1 year in jail and a $5,000.00 fine. What sentence you get is up to the judge.

If you want to keep this off your permanent criminal record, you need to hire a lawyer to represent you. Your lawyer can work out a deal with the prosecutor to get the charge dismissed or reduced to a lesser offense, such as "Littering."