5th degree charge in iowa

E

Euniece

New Member
Jurisdiction
Iowa
I was with a friend at a store
when she was caught shoplifting & since I was with her I was charged. When she was caught they claimed they saw me handing her things to take. It was under $50. Went to court, saw the judge. I was placed on a 6 month probation & didn't pay my fines because I didn't have the money & now I have a warrant (cop told me he was giving me time to turn myself in). It is also my first offense. What do you think will happen?
 
Euniece said:
What do you think will happen?
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Hmm, what do I think will happen?

If you turn your self in, you'll be arraigned before the judge who issued the warrant.

You ended up in this fix because you failed to make payment arrangements.

So, if you can get all the money you owe, that will end it.

If you can't get the money, make arrangements to pay monthly.

Then make sure you pay each month as agreed and tis will end.

It won't end well for you if you don't keep your word.

Its a small potatoes crime, and you're in this fix because if they let you get away with it, no one will ever do what they're told.

You're not a serial killer, a rapist, a child molester, you're just a confused, scared kid.

Nothing to fear hear, you won';t go to prison, even if you don't pay.

If you don't make arrangements to pay (or pay in full), the worst you'll get is about 15-30 days in county jail.
 
army judge said:
Hmm, what do I think will happen?

If you turn your self in, you'll be arraigned before the judge who issued the warrant.

You ended up in this fix because you failed to make payment arrangements.

So, if you can get all the money you owe, that will end it.

If you can't get the money, make arrangements to pay monthly.

Then make sure you pay each month as agreed and tis will end.

It won't end well for you if you don't keep your word.

Its a small potatoes crime, and you're in this fix because if they let you get away with it, no one will ever do what they're told.

You're not a serial killer, a rapist, a child molester, you're just a confused, scared kid.

Nothing to fear hear, you won';t go to prison, even if you don't pay.

If you don't make arrangements to pay (or pay in full), the worst you'll get is about 15-30 days in county jail.
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Ok thanks for the reply, do you think they'll give me more time to pay it since this is my first offense??
 
Euniece said:
What do you think will happen?
Click to expand...

My crystal ball is broken, but what "will happen" depends largely on what you do from this point forward. What do you intend to do about this situation you've created for yourself?

By the way, you apparently were convicted (otherwise you wouldn't have been fined and put on probation). Was the conviction a result of a plea bargain or did you go to trial?

Euniece said:
do you think they'll give me more time to pay it since this is my first offense?
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More time than what? Your post doesn't tell us anything about when the events mentioned occurred (your statement that you were "placed on a 6 month probation" doesn't tell us anything about when anything happened or how long this has been hanging over you). In any event, no one here has the ability to anticipate what some unknown judge, probation officer, or prosecutor in WhoKnowsWhatCounty, Iowa will and won't be willing to do.
 
I appreciate the answers but this happened last July & I was going to fight the case (which I should have) but I had an older person come with me & she told me that it was best to get it deferred which is what I did. Yes, it is my fault. I should have paid my fines but I was unresponsible because I had a lot of other things going on & didn't know that I would get a warrant out on me.
 
Euniece said:
I appreciate the answers but this happened last July & I was going to fight the case (which I should have) but I had an older person come with me & she told me that it was best to get it deferred which is what I did. Yes, it is my fault. I should have paid my fines but I was unresponsible because I had a lot of other things going on & didn't know that I would get a warrant out on me.
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Also, I am in iowa city, IA in Johnson county.
 
Euniece said:
Sorry, I went to court for this in December & the judge said it had to be paid off by July.
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Let's say your fine is $600.

You offer to pay $200 when you see the judge.

You then ask to be allowed to pay $200 on or before the 30th of each month such that you'll have the remaining $400 paid off in 60 days.


If you don't want to pay or can't pay, ask the judge if you can serve jail time to work it off.

You also screwed the pooch and probably lost the deferred option for which you plead guilty.

It's always best to plead not guilty if you didn't do the crime.
 
My fine was $250. At first I wasn't really working that much because I have a 2 year old toddler & it was always hard for me to find a daycare or reliable sitter so I had no income to pay it off (I know that sounds like too many excuses) but I am a single mother as well but now I do have an overnight descent paying job so I'm really scared that if I turn myself in, that I will have to do 15-30days in the county and I'll lose my job, home with no reliable person to keep my toddler.
 
army judge said:
Let's say your fine is $600.

You offer to pay $200 when you see the judge.

You then ask to be allowed to pay $200 on or before the 30th of each month such that you'll have the remaining $400 paid off in 60 days.


If you don't want to pay or can't pay, ask the judge if you can serve jail time to work it off.

You also screwed the pooch and probably lost the deferred option for which you plead guilty.

It's always best to plead not guilty if you didn't do the crime.
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Also, so what you're say is, the judge may/could give me another chance but except the deferred judgment wouldn't be an option?
 

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