Legal Question in Criminal Law in Minnesota

Re: petty misdemeanor

A Minnesota petty misdemeanor is defined by statute as not a crime, but a civil infraction. So, if a person pleads guilty to a petty misdemeanor, they may be adjudicated guilty of a civil infraction, but this is not a "criminal conviction." It would, however, be part of the public record, normally forever. Potential employers and others doing backgound checks may not care whether it is defined by law as a criminal conviction or not. It can also lead to deportation or other immigration law bad consequences for non-citizens. Normally my clients charged with shoplifting have preferred resolving the case without a guilty plea, to allow for potential expungement later. It would be worthwhile to have lawyer.