Criminal Law Can petit theft affect my citizenship eligibility?

[adanegra]

when i was 17, 2 years ago, i was caught shoplifting. i wasn't arrested, but i had to pay a fine to the store. the court called it a petit theft/petit misdemeanor. now, i want to apply for my citizenship, but i wasn't sure how this charge would affect my eligibility. it costs $625 to apply and that's a lot of money for me to lose if they reject my application.

 

[jacksgal]

Your not very clear on this. You say you were not arrested but mention court. Did you or did you not face a judge over this shoplifting issue?

 

[adanegra]

well, no i was not arrested. i was however taken to the security room of the store and i had to give a police officer all of my information. does that qualify as arrest? i'm not sure. and i did face a judge. after that, i had to face another judge in teen court.

 

[jacksgal]

Yes it does. The store security arrested you. It was a citizens arrest. The police cited and released you. What was outcome of your case? If your worried about your status in this country, and you should be, consult an imigration Attorney