Here's my story in short... so people don't get bored of reading about it. I am 8 1/2 months pregnant, with my second child, and had my 22 month old daughter with me when I went shopping. Im going through a legal separation, or maybe a divorce right now too. Anyway, I went to walmart yesterday and got caught stealing some things. Some yes, I put in my bag, and some I think might have fallen from my daughter grabbing them and putting them on her seat, which had slats and could have easily fell down into my bag, and on the sides of the bag. So anyway, when they took me, there were things underneath my bag, which I had no idea were actually there. Needless to say, it amounted to $112. I just want help knowing what to do. My first offense, and it was very stupid and I know that. Just adding to the stress I didn't need I suppose. No idea why it happened, but it did. But I only put 4 items into my bag, some probably my daughter and some were not even in my bag, but were "concealed" underneath my bag. I have court in 4 days, so I need help soon. Wondering what might happen and possibly fines and penalties.

I also had $80 cash on me, I don't know if that makes it worse or better on my behalf though.

Get an attorney. Public defender if nothing else.
Sorry I can't help more.
I'm sure you know this, and I don't mean to sound rude, please don't take it that way;
Don't steal anything, especially having children. They need you more than you need those items.

Let me see, sorry no defense that I forgot, you are suppose to check. So most likely fine, 500 to 1000 most likely in my areas. And after that you will most likely be on probation for 2 to 3 years.

I won't give you much of a lecture except to say when you are a mother and are pregnant with another one, do you really want to risk your freedom for whatever items you stole? If you had the cash to buy the things, you should have bought only what you had money for. Temptation is there and you don't need to succumb to temptation right now. You must keep your wits about you when you are shopping with kids as they can take things when you are not looking. I don't really buy the part where the stuff got under the kid one iota. You'll have to get a public defender and hope you can pay the fine and do the probation if you are lucky enough to get probation and then don't ever do that again. Shoplifting is now being taken much more seriously due to the economy being so bad. It does not matter if it was Walmart or a mom and pop store. The rest of the shoppers will have to make up what you took. It was probably not your first time you took stuff, but it was the first time you got caught. Eventually it does catch up to a person. Sometimes not the first time, but it will catch up to you when you least expect it to. Nuff said. Now, please try and calm down and remember your kids need you.