Legal Question in Criminal Law in Mississippi

I am 21 years old and was charged with a 1st shoplifting misdemeanor. I have no idea what that means. I’ve been looking online for answers and I’m getting nowhere. I was wondering what my chances for going to jail was? My bondsman told me if I plead guilty then I would only pay a fee. I asked him if there was a chance I could go to jail and he said maybe, just don’t bring it up- he said at the most I could maybe get 10 days jail. I’ve also read that I probably would not go to jail, that I will only have a fee to pay. For example- the page said a misdemeanor was a 1500 fee and up to 6 months in jail. Then it quoted that, that doesn’t mean one would go to jail, or pay that whole fine. I don’t understand any of this, I need it explained to me, and I don’t want any jail time. Is there any likelihood I could get out by just paying a fee?


Asked on 6/23/12, 11:05 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Wayne Woodall Wayne Woodall Attorney

sHOPLIFTING IS A MISDEMEANOR WHICH MEANS YOU ARE NOT CHARGED WITH THE MOST SERIOUS OF CRIMES. HOWEVER WITH SHOPLIFTING ONCE YOU GET A CONVICTION THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE CONVICTED THE PENALTY GETS MUCH WORSE AND THE THIRD TIME IT IS IN FACT A FELONY AND YOU GO TO PRISON, NOT JAIL. IN YOUR CASE BEING IN THE TUPELO AREA YOU MOST LIKELY WILL GET ONLY A FINE AND PERHAPS SOME PROBATION. IF YOU GOT A JAIL SENTENCE I WOULD EXPECT IT WOULD BE "SUSPENDED" (NOT ENFORCED AT THIS TIME) AND YOU WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO SERVE TIME IN JAIL EXCEPT UNLESS IF YOU VIOLATED THE TERMS OF PROBATION. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO PAY ALL OF THE FINE AT THE TIME YOU GO TO COURT THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE YOU WOULD NOT BE PLACED ON PROBATION. I HOPE YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON BECAUSE YOU ARE CHARGED WITH A SERIOUS MISDEMEANOR CRIME THAT ONLY GETS MUCH MORE SERIOUS THE NEXT TIME. IF YOU VIOLATE THE SHOPLIFTING STATUTE AGAIN YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY SPEND NOT LESS THAN 20-30 DAYS IN JAIL IN MY OPINION AND PROBABLY MORE LIKE 6 MONTHS IN JAIL. HOPE THIS RESPONSE HAS BEEN OF SOME HELP TO YOU

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Answered on 6/23/12, 12:46 pm


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