Shoplifting, Larceny, Robbery, Theft how do i clear a shop lifting record?

[lips]

this was my first time shoplifting and i got caught. It was in wal mart. they had me sign some paper work and told me to look out for a citation in the mail. I don't know what the procedures are after i get the citation. The security gaurd said i'd have to go to court and pay a fine. I don't have any traffic violations or any kind of tickets for anything. My record was clean until this incident. I am over the legal age, and still going to college. Is there anyway to get my record cleared? So it would be clean again? Will this affect my job applications? (if i want to work for the government.. etc.) Please help!...with all details pertinent to this post! thanks

 

[snowbird]

Please go to Shoplifting under $200 in NJ. I gave him my experience that I had with Safeway for petty theft. If you can get this settled before going to court, it will same you a lot of money and it won't be on your record. By the way, this happened in Washington State. If you want more details, let me know. Hope everything turns out well for you.

 

[lips]

My court date is not til April, and it happened in Ca. I got a letter in the mail from the county sheriff, and I thought about calling the officer to find out how i can avoid it it being on my record. If i was to contact Walmart, who should i contact? The private security that worked there was the one who caught me.

 

[Naetnalta]

If you have a court date, there are already criminal charges against you. I called my Wal-mart store a day after being caught by security and charged by the officer, and they told me that it can no longer be retracted since the sheriff's department has already written it up. If this is your first offense, ask the court for a diversion program or deferred sentence, which could allow you to later remove it from your criminal record.

I hope these turn out well for the both of us, since these are our first times. I don't intend to ever do it again anyway. I would like to hear feedback from others in our situations who have already been to court.