Re: shoplifting

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On 10/23/10, tommy ngo wrote:
> Hey im tommy, I am 18 years old college student at Winona
> State University, and i live in minnesota. I have always
> had a clean record until recently caught shoplifting a item
> worth less than $30 at "Down In The Vally." There was a
> censer on the item i was trying to steel and the alram went
> off. After getting caught i gave back what i had tried to
> steel i was apologetic, and did not try to run or anything,
> even though i had chances too. The girl working who caught
> me was very upset and saying i was a criminal, stupid,
> going to jail, and treated me like a second class citizen.
> I started to think she was saying some of the things she
> did because i was asian and she was white. When i asked to
> talk to my lawyer she said i could not because "i havent
> even talked to the cop yet." Once the cop got there we went
> to the back room and he read me my rights, afterwards he
> asked me if i wanted to talk about the situation i said
> "no" because i was offended at the time and didn't to get
> myself in more trouble than i already was in. The cop wrote
> me out a ticket saying i have to go to court November 5,
> 2010 at 8:30 am. The ticket says something about a
> misdemeanor which i do not what.
>
> I talked to a friend about the situation and he said i
> should get a lawyer and counter sue and ask "Down in The
> Vally" to settle outside of court or drop the charges it
> would be easy to get the store to drop the charges so i
> dont have a misdemeanor on my record.
>
> Can a lawyer type a letter to Down In The Vally asking them
> to drop the charges on Tommy Ngo or else i will counter sue
> for racial discrimination, and more? Let me know if you can
> do this for me i will surely put some money in the pocket
> of the person to get me out of this misdemeanor!

You won't win if you sue them. And you're more likely to
exacerbate the situation. If you don't want this on your
record, though, it's almost always in your best interest to
get a lawyer. There's a fair chance they could drop the
charges, or an experienced attorney could beat them. But
don't get your hopes up.

On the bright side, depending on your state, you may be able
to get the misdemeanor expunged (wiped clean) from your record
after two years or so, if you don't get in further trouble
(that's how it is in California, where I am).

Good luck, and don't do that again.