Is there a way to keep this off of my record?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Is there a way to keep this off of my record?
I had my first encounter with the law the other night, before this I had never even spoken to a police officer. I was charged with concealment of merchandise before leaving the store. I don’t know what to expector what to do from here. It was a shoplifting offense but I wasn’t arrested but was given a court date.
Asked on August 29, 2011 North Carolina
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
The best way for you to try and keep the apparent citation you received for the shoplifting offense that you were charged with from being a permanent part of your record is to retain a criminal defense atrtorney to assist you in resolving the charge against you.
Since you were not arrested, this is a relatively good sign that the charges against you will not be substantial ones warranting significant jail time and/or fine if convicted.
Potentially a good criminal defense attorney could work a deal where you pay a certain amount for a fine and you are on "court probation" for a certain time period. If you pass the "court probation" period without further problems with the law, any plea for what you were charged with could be eliminated and not show as a prior conviction upon your record.
Good luck.
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.