Shoplifting, Larceny, Robbery, Theft Please help me, I need you

[yadicakes]

Back in 2000, my ex and I had a fight. A physical fight. I couldn't leave and grabbed a knife to protect myself from this guy. Needless to say, he got scratches and bled, the cops showed up and I got screwed because I was "the aggressor". I was locked up for a week, went to court, couldn't afford an attorney so I had a public defender. They adviced me to plead guilty. Me being a young naive kid (21 at the time) did that because they said it would go better in the end. Now, I was pregnant at the time. He is out of the picture, I am married and very happy. But I was sentenced to a week in jail, which I had already completed, probation (also completed) and fines(which I am still paying for till this day). They were gonna press for bodily harm and posession of weapon (small kitchen knife). They dropped the weapon charge because I pled guilty to the bodily harm one. I need to know if there is anything I can do to get my normal life back? I feel like I am drowning because I was protecting myself and a bunch of lazy, uncaring cops didn't bother finding out the whole story. I really am sorry any of this happened and I wish I could just have my freedom again at dreaming of being a nurse or anything else I could be. But with this felony, I just feel like I am at the mercy of the courts and the law, whom I have completely lost respect and belief for. I just wish I had the opportunity to feel like a normal person again who has goals and dreams and is not afraid to make them come true. But with this felony, I can't have control of my dreams. The system does and I feel so depressed about it. I have so many things to accomplish and give my little girl, but the law and the system is taking all of that away. Please help, if anybody knows anything, I would greatly appreciate your advice and wisdom. Thank you.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Why did the public defender advise you to plead guilty? Did you know that you were pregnant at the time? There are a number of things that you may be able to do and it certainly sounds like you may have received a harsh sentence, especially if you had no priors. How long ago was this? Did you have priors? We need more information here.

Originally posted by yadicakes
Back in 2000, my ex and I had a fight. A physical fight. I couldn't leave and grabbed a knife to protect myself from this guy. Needless to say, he got scratches and bled, the cops showed up and I got screwed because I was "the aggressor". I was locked up for a week, went to court, couldn't afford an attorney so I had a public defender. They adviced me to plead guilty. Me being a young naive kid (21 at the time) did that because they said it would go better in the end. Now, I was pregnant at the time. He is out of the picture, I am married and very happy. But I was sentenced to a week in jail, which I had already completed, probation (also completed) and fines(which I am still paying for till this day). They were gonna press for bodily harm and posession of weapon (small kitchen knife). They dropped the weapon charge because I pled guilty to the bodily harm one. I need to know if there is anything I can do to get my normal life back? I feel like I am drowning because I was protecting myself and a bunch of lazy, uncaring cops didn't bother finding out the whole story. I really am sorry any of this happened and I wish I could just have my freedom again at dreaming of being a nurse or anything else I could be. But with this felony, I just feel like I am at the mercy of the courts and the law, whom I have completely lost respect and belief for. I just wish I had the opportunity to feel like a normal person again who has goals and dreams and is not afraid to make them come true. But with this felony, I can't have control of my dreams. The system does and I feel so depressed about it. I have so many things to accomplish and give my little girl, but the law and the system is taking all of that away. Please help, if anybody knows anything, I would greatly appreciate your advice and wisdom. Thank you.

 

[yadicakes]

The public defender told me that if I didn't plead guilty, that it would be worse in the end for me than if I plea bargained to one charge and pled guilty. I was naive and scared and had no idea what the consequences would be. I honestly feel that the system let me down because all this happened during a time when they were getting a bad rap for always being more leniant towards woman and being harsher towards the men in domestic violence situations and to prove they weren't being biased, they were being even harsher to the woman they arrested to try to prove their point. My public defender made an appointment for me to see a psychiatrist to prove that I wasn't mental. He put in his report that he didn't see me as any kind of threat to society. I didn't know I was pregnant at the time but as court dates dragged on, I came to find out and that is why in the end I came to pleading guilty because of the days I spent in jail, I saw how many girls in there were pregnant and how many of them would have to give up their children while they stayed locked up. This being my first pregnancy, I didn't want to do anything that would keep my child away from me. And being afraid and placing my trust in a public defender who was supposed to take care of me, I took her word for it and pled guilty instead of fighting it so it wouldn't be worse in the end. I was also assigned to a probation officer who after a few meetings with me said that I didn't seem like a harmful person and had me go from reporting in person to him once a week to reporting by mail once a month. I was also forced to take domestic violence classes and when I finished the course, my instructor put in her report to the court that I was not a threat, I was an intelligent young woman with a lot of wisdom and I would go far in life. But even though these three professionals who had a great influence in the court, all had nothing negative to say about me, they still considered me guilty. My ex didn't even press any charges against me, but the D.A. did. I would like to know if it sounds like if maybe I have some kind of case? I did have a misdemeanor previous to this felony. It was years before when I was a teenager and it was for shoplifting. Not even remotely close to domestic violence. Thanks for taking the time in responding to me. I hope to hear form you soon.

 

[freebird]

Here's what I don't understand. It sounds like there was very little physical injury. A couple of scratches and that's it. Normally an ADA doesn't go for the jugular like seems to have happened here. What more can you say about your facts that might explain this?

Originally posted by yadicakes
The public defender told me that if I didn't plead guilty, that it would be worse in the end for me than if I plea bargained to one charge and pled guilty. I was naive and scared and had no idea what the consequences would be. I honestly feel that the system let me down because all this happened during a time when they were getting a bad rap for always being more leniant towards woman and being harsher towards the men in domestic violence situations and to prove they weren't being biased, they were being even harsher to the woman they arrested to try to prove their point. My public defender made an appointment for me to see a psychiatrist to prove that I wasn't mental. He put in his report that he didn't see me as any kind of threat to society. I didn't know I was pregnant at the time but as court dates dragged on, I came to find out and that is why in the end I came to pleading guilty because of the days I spent in jail, I saw how many girls in there were pregnant and how many of them would have to give up their children while they stayed locked up. This being my first pregnancy, I didn't want to do anything that would keep my child away from me. And being afraid and placing my trust in a public defender who was supposed to take care of me, I took her word for it and pled guilty instead of fighting it so it wouldn't be worse in the end. I was also assigned to a probation officer who after a few meetings with me said that I didn't seem like a harmful person and had me go from reporting in person to him once a week to reporting by mail once a month. I was also forced to take domestic violence classes and when I finished the course, my instructor put in her report to the court that I was not a threat, I was an intelligent young woman with a lot of wisdom and I would go far in life. But even though these three professionals who had a great influence in the court, all had nothing negative to say about me, they still considered me guilty. My ex didn't even press any charges against me, but the D.A. did. I would like to know if it sounds like if maybe I have some kind of case? I did have a misdemeanor previous to this felony. It was years before when I was a teenager and it was for shoplifting. Not even remotely close to domestic violence. Thanks for taking the time in responding to me. I hope to hear form you soon.

 

[innocentman]

im your neighbor

girlfriend keep your dreams alive, and dont let them die because of this situation. I also have a fellony charge on my record, and I have never been in trouble, before this nor have i after this, and its been recent. my fight transpired about 4 years ago this december. First of all, your lifes not over. JUST DONT GET IN ANY MORE TROUBLE. especially once you have been relived of you probation. Once you have gotten off probation, for ONE year you have to absolutely stay OUT of TROUBLE. Once that has happened you can apply for @ $50.00 and get the expunged off your record, and you can then chase your dreams again. I know the gut wrenching feeling of knowing what happened and you getting the short end of the stick. I got into a fight with my ex wifes boyfriend because he grabbed my children while I had them, my son wanted to kiss me goodbye, and the man mad him get into the car and started to cuss at him because he was crying. I asked him not to, a few words were exchanged, I tryed to walk away and from behind he grabbed me and flipped me over his head and slammed me o the pavement. In the end my shoulder was dissolocated, and his jaw was broken from a punch that i trew. I get the felony and he got away. Needless to say this guy was a police officer, and he still is.