(1) if my wife plead guilty at court, will she be sentenced to jail? (2) Is it a serious case? (3) Please advise us on what to do. Thank you!

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(1) if my wife plead guilty at court, will she be sentenced to jail? (2) Is it a serious case? (3) Please advise us on what to do. Thank you!

My wife went shopping at Nordstrom Rack. she took a “discount sticker” from a similar Jean (same brand and same price but different color) and applied it to the Jean that she liked. she paid for the Jean and got the discount. when she walked out of the store, a security guard was waiting for her out side and detained her. My wife doesn’t speak english but they did not allow her to call anybody. then, the police took her to the police station then release her at midnight with a date to appear to court. this happen in Los Angeles, California.

Asked on May 27, 2009 under Criminal Law, California

Answers:

M.S., Member, Connecticut Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 15 years ago | Contributor

Any time an individual is accused of violating a criminal statute, it can be considered to be serious.  Since you do not say which criminal statute your wife is accused of violating, it is impossible to tell whether incarceration is a potential consequence of the crime that she has allegedly committed.  Moreover, to answer your specific question, whether she actually would be sentenced to incarceration as a result of pleading guilty would depend on the offer that the prosecutor makes in exchange for your wife's guilty plea.  Additionally, you should consider the fact that if your wife is not an American citizen, a criminal conviction could result in other penalties, such as deportation.  Since these are serious matters, you should consult and/or hire an attorney to appear with your wife in court prior to her next scheduled court date.


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