Asked 2/5/2016 – El Paso, TX

Hello,
I am writing because I made a huge mistake and gave into peer pressure which led me to get arrested and class B misdemeanor for shoplifting. I have never been in any kind of trouble except for the occasional traffic ticket. I’m a 32 yr old mother of 3 that just gave into the idea of saving some money. I’m now scared out of my mind at the thought of what I am going to have to do to take care of this. I have avoided contacting a lawyer for the past few months and now I’m wondering when I contact one, what should I be expecting? Will I actually have to go to jail? Can I ever clear this off my record, or am i gonna have to live with this mistake forever?

Answer

A class b misdemeanor is punishable by up to 180 days in jail, a $2,000 fine or a maximum probationary period of 24 months. Whether you will ever be able to clear this from your record depends on how this case is disposed of (please remember, a final CONVICTION is just that, FINAL). Will you go to jail? Probably not. But you are 32 years old, which is too old to use peer pressure as an excuse. You also have 3 children that you have to set an example for, so quit sticking your head in the sand by avoiding contacting a lawyer. This will not go away if you close your eyes. If one of your children was caught shoplifting, what would you expect them to do? Acknowledge your mistake, take responsibility for it, then hire an attorney to get the best possibly outcome. Yes, this is going to cost a lot more money than the small amount you were going to save by what you did, and I’m sure this process is very painful for you, but you’ll get through it.