Legal Question in Criminal Law in Texas

theft incident, texas, charged

I was caught shoplifting today. It was a mistake on my part but the cops came and I was booked and charged with a class c misdemeanor. The cop told me he would only give me a ticket and i'd have to go pay the fine on the date written. They gave me a ticket but it said Notice of Violation and Promise to Appear up front. Also, the fine was not written in the front of the ticket. Does this mean this is a summons and not a ticket? Can I pay this citation by phone or is my presence required in court? The item I shopliften was worth only $7.50 Will this stay in my record forever or how long do I have to wait to expunge it? I am very scared because I've never been to court and don't know what to do. I know I commited the mistake and am responsible for the consequences so I want to know what the next steps will be. Also, will this show up on all my background checks? Can anyone give me some information? Thank you.


Asked on 5/10/09, 7:41 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
TC Langford Langford Law Office

Re: theft incident, texas, charged

It would be better for you get deferred adjudication. It may cost more, but you should qualify, and by doing it this way, you can get it dismissed, and then later off of your record.

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Answered on 5/11/09, 7:49 pm


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