Caught shoplifting in SC, first offense, misdemeanor, am fined $1,096.50, will this be the fine and how long on my record?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Caught shoplifting in SC, first offense, misdemeanor, am fined $1,096.50, will this be the fine and how long on my record?
Asked on July 3, 2009 under Criminal Law, North Carolina
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 15 years ago | Contributor
Pursuant to South Carolina a law, a person who is convicted of shoplifting is guilty of a:
(1) misdemeanor triable in magistrate's court and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days if the value of the shoplifted merchandise is one thousand dollars or less;
(2) felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both, if the value of the shoplifted merchandise is more than one thousand dollars but less than five thousand dollars...
If you stole $1096.00 technicality you could have been charged with a felony, but you indicate that the charge is a misdemeanor - the authorities gave you a huge a break there.
As for how long it remains on your record - forever. That is unless your case qualifies for "expungement", that is a legal clearing of you record. Based on your facts, I'm not so sure that it does so qualify. Here's a link explaining the statute that governs all of this:
http://lawdigest.uslegal.com/expungement-of-criminal-records/general/6549/
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.