Re: Shoplifting in Ohio

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On 11/02/05, ohiofemale wrote:
> 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.

Shoplifting is shoplifting - plain and simple! Intent or no
intent, if you take something that you did not pay for, it's
shoplifting.

Spend the $500 - it's worth it. You may qualify for a
diversion program but there is no gaurantee that the judge
will grant you such. With an attorney, you stand a much
better chance.