Legal Question in Criminal Law in Florida
18 yr old son found shoplifting - 1st offense
Do we need to retain an attorney for
court date for 18 yr old son who was
caught shoplifting in Fl (1st offense,
less than $80).
Our son is graduating hs and is set to
start college in late June. I just found
out that he was caught shoplifting
merchandise (worth less than $80)
from Walmart. It is his first offense.
He has a scheduled court date in
early June. I called the Clerk's Office
to ask if we need to retain a lawyer.
They said most ppl do not bring in a
lawyer. Do we need one? Will this
stay on his record?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: 18 yr old son found shoplifting - 1st offense
Since it is a first offense it is probably maneuverable without an attorney. In Broward if that is where it happened, he should be eligible for pre-trial diversion. With that said it is always a good idea to have counsel review the facts and help navigate the system. If he is offered pre-trial diversion and completes it the case will be nolle prossed (dropped). In order to fully remove it from his record the record would need to be expunged which is a separate process.
Re: 18 yr old son found shoplifting - 1st offense
Yes he needs an attorney. If not handled properly it will follow him forever. My office is West Palm and I handle cases in Broward. Please feel free to call if you would like to discuss representation.
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