Posted by ohiofemale on 11/02/05

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I am 21 year old female in Ohio and I was stopped by loss-
prevention employees in a department store yesterday. I
had gone into a dressing room, removed the tags of a
sweater, put the sweater on and then put my coat on over
the sweater. I then left the dressing room and put the
tags of the sweater into a pair of pants. I walked out
the first set of doors to the store,9the doors before the
actual outside door) and the loss prevention woman
approached me. They told me they had video surveillance
of me placing the tags of a sweater I did not pay for in
another pair of jeans and walking out with the sweater.
However, all through the process I denied intentional
guilt and said it was unintentional and I didn't realize I
was walking off with the sweater. They came back holding
video tapes but I don't know of they were simply bluffing
with these tapes. They called the police and gave me a
blue ticket and I am scheduled to appear in court in two
days. I went to speak to some run-of-the-mill phone book
criminal attorney, and he told me his fee was a flat $500,
that he would most likely "win" the case, etc. Was he
telling me th truth or just trying to get my money? My
main question is...what do I do? Is it worth it to pay
for the attorney, since I intend to plead not guilty. In
Ohio am I qualified for this "diversion" I am reading
about? This is my first offense and after the officer
read me my Miranda Rights I told him I had no intent to
steal the sweater, there was no malice, it was a
misunderstanding, etc. Does the fact that I told the
police officer that I had no "intent" of stealing the
sweater matter. Isn't stealing based in "intent" anyway?
Basically, can the $500 attorney help me, is he worth it?
And ultimately, what can he in theory do to reduce the
charges.
Please help, I really need to know of it is worth the $500
attorney fee.
Any advice appreciated.

Re: Shoplifting in Ohio, 3/12/06, by anonymous.

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