Quick run down:
I'm 18, live in FL, upper-middle class family, never done anything wrong. No previous record, not even any speeding tickets.
A few weeks ago I stole a $400 piece of equipment from the store I worked at with the help of my fellow coworker. My coworker wanted to take it and sell it. I didn't plan to profit from this at all, but helped him anyways by letting him use my car.
Anyways, we get caught a couple of weeks after that, not on camera, but by cooperating with the manager and Loss Prevention. My coworker brought back the item and we were both docked on our pay check for other things we may have taken.
I thought this had all blown over, but yesterday a cop came to my house, read me my rights, charged me, and took a statement. He sent that to the DA and I am awaiting a court date now.
A little background on my coworker:
22 years old
Charged, but never convicted, with 3 felonies
Numerous driving violations
Got out of prison 30 days prior and is facing 24yrs to life for some crime I don't know about.
My question is,
From any of your legal experiences, how will this turn out? I know it depends on the judge, and many other things, but in general, will I get hammered or let off easy? I know what I did was wrong, I apologized and even returned the big ticket item that they were upset about. Will they really convict an 18 yr old male, with no previous record, with a felony and throw me in prison?
Btw, my coworker is not complying with the police and is quite possibly running from them at this point because he is on probation and will go back to jail regardless of whether he is convicted or not.
Hopefully this will just look like a case of peer pressure gone wrong to the judge, but I don't know.
I'm 18, live in FL, upper-middle class family, never done anything wrong. No previous record, not even any speeding tickets.
A few weeks ago I stole a $400 piece of equipment from the store I worked at with the help of my fellow coworker. My coworker wanted to take it and sell it. I didn't plan to profit from this at all, but helped him anyways by letting him use my car.
Anyways, we get caught a couple of weeks after that, not on camera, but by cooperating with the manager and Loss Prevention. My coworker brought back the item and we were both docked on our pay check for other things we may have taken.
I thought this had all blown over, but yesterday a cop came to my house, read me my rights, charged me, and took a statement. He sent that to the DA and I am awaiting a court date now.
A little background on my coworker:
22 years old
Charged, but never convicted, with 3 felonies
Numerous driving violations
Got out of prison 30 days prior and is facing 24yrs to life for some crime I don't know about.
My question is,
From any of your legal experiences, how will this turn out? I know it depends on the judge, and many other things, but in general, will I get hammered or let off easy? I know what I did was wrong, I apologized and even returned the big ticket item that they were upset about. Will they really convict an 18 yr old male, with no previous record, with a felony and throw me in prison?
Btw, my coworker is not complying with the police and is quite possibly running from them at this point because he is on probation and will go back to jail regardless of whether he is convicted or not.
Hopefully this will just look like a case of peer pressure gone wrong to the judge, but I don't know.