Hi, I was arrested the other night and charged with a theft II misdemeanor (in Oregon state) because my boyfriend stole groceries worth $62. Neither of us have ever been in trouble with the law in any way. I would like to explain what happened and see what I can expect as far as sentencing goes.
I went to the store because my 3 yr old son was sick and so was I and I wanted to get us echinacea juice and bananas. I was in my own little world the entire time and we shopped separately until I came around with the cart. He put his items in the cart, I looked away (not as a lookout but because I didn't want it on my conscience) and then in his backpack. I did not know my boyfriend was going to steal when we were walking up to the store, but I obvioulsy knew he had stolen before we left the store. But, I'm not going to call the cops on my boyfriend so I am also guilty.
I left the store having paid for everything I walked out with. As soon as I step outside some dude is there arresting me. I would like to mention that he never ever read me my rights. He had us in custody (and cuffs) and asked us questions and wrote his police report without ever doing so. We were probably in custody with him for 1-2 hours before another cop showed up. The second cop read us our rights when we mentioned the other guy didnt, asked us both if we understood them and wrote down the time.
The cop who arrested us said he was an off duty undercover cop who was working for and representing the store, and said that is why he didn't have to read us our rights. This guy had personal issues against theives and wanted to make sure we got punished to the max, he was rude and lied to us the entire time.
The second cop was much nicer, didn't have 'issues' and I felt treated like a person instead of the scum of the earth. He let me go home instead of jail because I had a small child, a state ID, and a clean record. My boyfriend went to jail for the night though.
The thing about this is my boyfriend is a hypochondriac diabetic and worries too much about things. He was stealing groceries because he will go into a coma without food, his foodstamps didn't come in that month and he didn't get paid for 3 more days. I only have enough for my son and I and even though I offered to buy him something he didn't want us to have to go hungry because of him.
I'm just wondering what this situation will look like. We are very good people otherwise, and this going on both our records is going to screw us over forever. We both just finished our first semester of college with straight A's, is there any reason a court would still treat us like criminals and not people because my boyfriend freaked out he would die without food? He also has no health insurance so he's been untreated for this since he got it, which makes him worry even more.
It's not like we can just go to a soup kitchen or ask for a food box because they will just give us the same things that gave him his disease in the first place which is usually a bunch of partially hydrogenated/high fructose plastic.
He stole some granola, cheese, trash bags and toothpaste. All organic so prices were high. So because he is poor and hungry and I was with him we both face all kinds of fines, up to a year in jail and misdemeanor theft II on our records ?
We will need a public defender, we have a court date in two weeks. They said I can't apply for a public defender until my first court date, is that true? I know I was lied to about what would happen a few tmes.
I'm just wondering what I realistically face, rather than what the disgruntled undercover cop wanted me to face. Any info is appreciated
Thank you
I went to the store because my 3 yr old son was sick and so was I and I wanted to get us echinacea juice and bananas. I was in my own little world the entire time and we shopped separately until I came around with the cart. He put his items in the cart, I looked away (not as a lookout but because I didn't want it on my conscience) and then in his backpack. I did not know my boyfriend was going to steal when we were walking up to the store, but I obvioulsy knew he had stolen before we left the store. But, I'm not going to call the cops on my boyfriend so I am also guilty.
I left the store having paid for everything I walked out with. As soon as I step outside some dude is there arresting me. I would like to mention that he never ever read me my rights. He had us in custody (and cuffs) and asked us questions and wrote his police report without ever doing so. We were probably in custody with him for 1-2 hours before another cop showed up. The second cop read us our rights when we mentioned the other guy didnt, asked us both if we understood them and wrote down the time.
The cop who arrested us said he was an off duty undercover cop who was working for and representing the store, and said that is why he didn't have to read us our rights. This guy had personal issues against theives and wanted to make sure we got punished to the max, he was rude and lied to us the entire time.
The second cop was much nicer, didn't have 'issues' and I felt treated like a person instead of the scum of the earth. He let me go home instead of jail because I had a small child, a state ID, and a clean record. My boyfriend went to jail for the night though.
The thing about this is my boyfriend is a hypochondriac diabetic and worries too much about things. He was stealing groceries because he will go into a coma without food, his foodstamps didn't come in that month and he didn't get paid for 3 more days. I only have enough for my son and I and even though I offered to buy him something he didn't want us to have to go hungry because of him.
I'm just wondering what this situation will look like. We are very good people otherwise, and this going on both our records is going to screw us over forever. We both just finished our first semester of college with straight A's, is there any reason a court would still treat us like criminals and not people because my boyfriend freaked out he would die without food? He also has no health insurance so he's been untreated for this since he got it, which makes him worry even more.
It's not like we can just go to a soup kitchen or ask for a food box because they will just give us the same things that gave him his disease in the first place which is usually a bunch of partially hydrogenated/high fructose plastic.
He stole some granola, cheese, trash bags and toothpaste. All organic so prices were high. So because he is poor and hungry and I was with him we both face all kinds of fines, up to a year in jail and misdemeanor theft II on our records ?
We will need a public defender, we have a court date in two weeks. They said I can't apply for a public defender until my first court date, is that true? I know I was lied to about what would happen a few tmes.
I'm just wondering what I realistically face, rather than what the disgruntled undercover cop wanted me to face. Any info is appreciated
Thank you
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