Legal Question in Criminal Law in Minnesota

theft of a credit card..help!

I made a huge mistake in a moment of desperation....I took a co workers credit card and used it to purchase something at a store. I later returned the item out of guilt and put back the card. Now I have a court date and I'm so scared about what is going to happen. I'm unsure of what I am going to be charged with (aside from theft). I'm a college student going to school to be a teacher and if anything is on my record, I cannot be a teacher. I'm so scared and I don't know what to do. Am I going to jail? Is it going to be on my record? Am I going up against the bank? Help me please?


Asked on 10/01/07, 9:08 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Thomas C. Gallagher Gallagher Criminal Defense

Re: theft of a credit card..help!

Assuming you have no prior criminal record, then a reasonable goal for an outcome for most of my clients in similar situations would be an outcome involving no guilty plea, such as pretrial diversion. A guilty plea would mean that your MN public record could not be expunged under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 609A.

The best course of action would be:

1. Retain a good criminal defense lawyer. Yes, this will cost money but far, far less than a conviction or criminal record of a guilty plea will cost over a working lifetime.

2. Do not accept voluntarily any outcome involving a guilty plea.

Call me if you like.

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Answered on 10/02/07, 12:33 pm


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