[canadian_cat]

I apologize if this bulletin seems redundant, for I have seen some earlier posts about theft under $5000.

I do not posses much knowledge about criminal law, so I am asking for your help on my specific situation.

I am an 18 year old female living in canada attending my second year of university studies. I was charged with theft under $5000 because me and 3 other people stole liqour from a liqour store I was employed at. We were caught on camera, and inventory counts provided a list of everything taken. I wrote letters of apology and showed complete remorse; this is my first offence. My manager wrote a letter to the police asking them not to charge me. The request was denied because one of the other people involved in the theft (who was my assistant manager) already had 2 warrants out for her arrest, so the constable told me he was obligated to charge her, and then send her away to a women's prison. He said he was not able to favor any one person over another in this situation, therefore we were all to be charged.

My assistant manager and her friend stole $1650 worth of alcohol, and she confessed to being the instigator to the situation. I stole $150 worth, and I confessed to jumping on the band-wagon. I understand it does not matter how much each of us took because we all participated in the crime.

The fourth person in this crime was a friend of mine who works at a movie store across the street from the liqour store. He got involved because he came into the store to visit while this was going on, and we asked him to take out an empty bottle of wine that we had drank during our shift (also added to the list of stolen alcohol) to the dumpster for us. The police saw my friend on camera taking the bottle outside, but they did not know it was empty. I was reluctant to say we had drank the bottle of wine during my shift in my police report. Tomorrow my friend writes his police report and he is going to say it was empty.

1. If we are all getting charged with theft under $5000, can my friend in his situation lessen his punishments because all he did was carry an empty bottle out for us (although he knew everything going on, and came into the store more than once while it was happening)?

2. Will my punishment be greater for NOT saying I drank a bottle of stolen wine during my shift in my police report? If so, is there any way I can change my police report before my court date in one month?

3. Coincidentally, my court date is on my 19th birthday at the end of November. Is there a difference in being 18 or 19 facing charges?

4. In my situation, will I need an attorney?

Keep in mind that I am a university student who just lost her job. I have little to no money. I have made the choice not to tell my parents because my father is terminally ill, and I do not want him spending the time he has left worrying about this, because I know he will and I do not know how much more stress he can endure.

[s_cianci]

You probably should try to get a lawyer. There are a lot of details involving other people besides yourself. You need someone to watch out for YOUR interests. A lawyer will do that for you. Sure as heck none of your "accomplices" are. Have you made restitution? Your manager seems to be supportive of you. That said, could you possibly convince him/her not to testify against you? That could get the charges against you dropped. A lawyer can advise you as to the best course of action.

[canadian_cat]

Thanks!

[Fr_Chuck]

Anytime you are arrested, you need an attorney

Next if you are working on a deal with the DA for a lower sentence, then they will want the entire truth.

Next if you disappear for 90 days in jail, I doubt calling them and telling them from jail will be as nice as telling them ahead of time you messed up. But that is your call for that.

But if you are confessing, you need to confess the entire truth in reality, since if they catch you in one lie, they will assume you are lying about more.

[canadian_cat]

Thanks again, I appreciate the advice.