The state is Louisiana. I am 22 years old. I will give you an account of what happened to me:
I was caught leaving Wal-mart Supercenter, 5110 Jefferson Highway, Harahan, with
a shopping bag of goods totalling $18.75 without having paid for them. I was
approached by a loss protection employee . He led me to a uniformed officer who put my arm behind my back while they retrieved the bag and searched my pockets. The officer held my arm behind my back and walked me to the security room, where he handcuffed me. The two men took down information, took my picture, and informed me that, since
I had no prior record, I would not have to go to jail but instead be summoned to court by mail. I signed a couple forms. I was told that I could not come back to any Wal-mart ever again. The summons describes the violation as "LRS. 14:67.10 Theft of goods ($18.75)".
I would like to know what penalties I should be expecting, and how to minimize the charge if possible.
-Is it possible to reduce the misdemeanor to an infraction?
-I have heard of a diversion program, a first offenders probation, and a deferred sentence. Do any of these apply to my case?
-Lastly, as a recent college graduate, I am very worried about this spot on my record. Is it possible to have it expunged, as I have no prior offenses and am not planning to commit further crimes in the future?
I was caught leaving Wal-mart Supercenter, 5110 Jefferson Highway, Harahan, with
a shopping bag of goods totalling $18.75 without having paid for them. I was
approached by a loss protection employee . He led me to a uniformed officer who put my arm behind my back while they retrieved the bag and searched my pockets. The officer held my arm behind my back and walked me to the security room, where he handcuffed me. The two men took down information, took my picture, and informed me that, since
I had no prior record, I would not have to go to jail but instead be summoned to court by mail. I signed a couple forms. I was told that I could not come back to any Wal-mart ever again. The summons describes the violation as "LRS. 14:67.10 Theft of goods ($18.75)".
I would like to know what penalties I should be expecting, and how to minimize the charge if possible.
-Is it possible to reduce the misdemeanor to an infraction?
-I have heard of a diversion program, a first offenders probation, and a deferred sentence. Do any of these apply to my case?
-Lastly, as a recent college graduate, I am very worried about this spot on my record. Is it possible to have it expunged, as I have no prior offenses and am not planning to commit further crimes in the future?