Since my car accident in the beginning of the year, I suffered from a concussion, herniated disks, anxiety issues, post-concussion syndrome, and PTSD. I did not start shoplifting until about 4 months ago and it would be unplanned, sporatic and not within my character at all. I attend graduate school in the U.S. So I commute from Canada to the U.S. I was caught on Saturday shoplifting (in Loblaws). I currently see a psychologist who I was seeing because of the accident for the anxiety, post-concussion and PTSD issues and I was keeping my shoplifting a secret from her, from everyone really -I will be asking her for help on Monday. I am remourseful, regretful, and ashamed of my terrible behaviour. I am not a deviant character in society, I have been the total opposite of this my entire life and this is so out of my character. I will need a lawyer, and I qualify for legal aid so I will be calling on Monday for advice as well. My record is perfectly clean. I have never had any issues with the law before. Is there anyway I can avoid getting finger prints taken or should I plea not guilty due to my current mental health? I would not be able to continue with my academic studies if there were a record or finger prints taken as I would not be permitted to cross the border. I do not know what I would do if I was unable to complete my studies. If only I asked for help sooner.

Where did you shoplift? In Canada? If that is the case then you will be able to essentially skate with little criminal record and you would be able to cross the border as it is only felonies that prohibit a person from entering into Canada, not misdemeanors (which shoplifting is). Listen to what your attorney tells you to do. I seriously doubt if anyone will believe the mental problem as being the cause of your shoplifting so don't bother with that aspect as they have heard that one before many times. Just show your remorse, pay your fine, and don't ever do that again. If you do have a mental problem of kleptomania having shoplifted many times then you need professional help to not do that again.

And I will add, what is this hang up on being fingerprinted, it is for ID purpose, it is your criminal record that holds your crimes, fingerprints do nothing but prove who you are. There are 100s of thousands of people fingerprinted every year to be school teachers to get gun permits, to work with children or more.

Next this is shoplifting, not armed robbery, it will have no effect crossing the boarder.

Also I agree if this happened in Canada look into their first offender program.

As for as your mental health, if you knew you were stealing, and you know stealing is wrong, mental health issues does not help

Thank you both for your quick feedback. Yes the incident happened in Canada. I guess I just do not understand why I started this mid-way through my life after a traumatic accident. My best guess was to attach the behaviour of shoplifting to the PTSD and the accident as I have been reading and they seem to be related in some of the literature that I have run across. As for the fingerprints, the police officer had told me that once they were on file that I would not be able to cross the border which sparked this massive dread over my stupidest behaviour ever. I will be getting help with this as I have a psychologist and I never want to experience this ever again - it is absolutely terrible. I think this may be the stupidest thing I have ever done... and I was a teenager once. So once they fingerprint me, I will still be able to cross the border for school without a problem? This is just my largest concern at the moment. I am seeking a lawyer on Monday but do not know how long that sort of process takes with Legal Aid in Ontario. My heart just burns with remorse and tears fill my eyes every time I think of my stupid actions.