Legal Question in Criminal Law in Ohio

I was caught stealing ipods from my place of work, Walmart. I was not arrested on the spot, and have not been notified of any sort since this time.They had my address and even sent me my paycheck and called me to make sure they had the right address. This is my first time being in trouble with the law. If there is a warrant, I believe it would be for theft of goods, a Felony 5 in Ohio. What are the chances that I could get this down to a misdemeanor since its my first offense? If so, would it be better to hire a lawyer to achieve this, or is a public defender capable of it?


Asked on 6/21/10, 2:07 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Neil Rubin Neil S. Rubin, Attorney at Law, LLC

You do not make the decision for a "public defender". The judge will interview you at your arraignment to determine whether or not you can afford a "for hire" attorney.

As for the probability of pleading this down, I do not know how the prosecutor and judge will treat the matter. I DO know, however, that you should hire an attorney to represent you. A felony on your record could negatively impact you for the rest of your life.

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Answered on 6/23/10, 6:33 am


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