i was arrested, they even took photos and fingerprints and cop explained it remains in my record though he said they gave it under nontraffic summons...i have to pay fine on tuesday..shoplifting was of $115 in pennsylvania state..should i plead guilty or not guilty in court??will it remain for whole life on my records??will it affect on job, career, citizenship?? i have greencard..i made mistake n i m so angry on myself now..pls help if neone knows about pa laws and on information i gave u
2006-08-13 16:50:39 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Community Service
yes i was guilty
2006-08-13 17:20:21 · update #1
yes it was first time offence..........and i did learn my lesson not to screw up life for fun..............wat is summary probation n all??thnks in adv
2006-08-13 18:12:52 · update #2
Are you guilty? If you are really guilty then pleading such is the right thing to do. Generally there are not too many bad effects on a summary offense. It could have effects. I can't answer on the green card issue or citizenship issue. You might want to talk to a lawer familiar with immigration law.
Get a lawyer and see if you can be elegable for ARD or some other program where the arrest could be exponged after a period of time with no further arrests.
2006-08-13 16:57:47 · answer #1 · answered by reallyconfuzzled1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All three answers above are good advice. You MUST talk with an attorney - call a social services office for referral to a Legal Aid kind of law firm and/or Immigration attorney. Often the DA will reduce the matter to a lesser charge or at least not charge it as a felony which I don't think they can do with value being so low. If this is a first offense you will get perhaps summary probation. A lawyer (if honest/ethical) will see to it that you get nothing more than summary probation - if this is a first offense. Possibly a lawyer can get this dismissed on a technicality. In the U.S. everything hinges on the law and it is worth selling anything you have to get good legal advice. And stop taking someone else's property!!!
Good luck.
2006-08-14 00:24:18 · answer #2 · answered by ALWAYS GOTTA KNOW 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just pay your fine. You don't have to tell anyone you were arrested. Your job applications will probably only ask about felony charges and yours is maybe a misdemeanor so it's not a really big deal. If you are a citizen, you are still a citizen. Don't shoplift anymore. :)
Oh, and don't plead "not-guilty" if you are guilty. Just plead guilty so the judge will take it easier on you for your honesty. It is really the best policy.
2006-08-13 23:54:33 · answer #3 · answered by Mama R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check with an immigration attorney to find out what you should do.
You need factual advice, not opinions from people. It might seriously affect your citizenship status, or it might not matter. If you have financial difficulties, there are low cost legal services available in most cities.
Hope this helps!
2006-08-13 23:53:59 · answer #4 · answered by rita_alabama 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I shoplift clothes from 3 malls everyday and no one has stopped me. Just take like all the clothes you can into the dressing room (no one ever asks to count your items at J C Penny, Kohl's, Sears...) and stuff 8 or 9 shirts into your purse! It works EVERY time, almost to well cause I cant stop!
2006-08-16 12:34:04 · answer #5 · answered by jessica j 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋