[anonymous56]

Age: 19
Ontario
Durham Region

I stole fifty dollars worth of headlights from my work and about a week later they took me to a room and started asking me questions they told me I was seen on camera but didn't show me it they wanted me to plead guilty to it and make a statement I told them stuff but didn't sign anything a "criminal investigator" kept asking me questions and then called me a liar when it came to useless facts such as have you ever had a run in with the police. He left the room several times and kept asking me if I stole GPS's and car parts and expensive things and he said he found the wrappers lying around where I took them he only showed me the wrappers for the head lights. I told him I took them because I'm all out of money I'm being paid minimum wage and my alternator overcharged and blew out both of them and my car was illegal to drive (at night). I have had one other run in with the police before I was give a ticket for public drunkenness I told him about this at the end trying to be cooperative and he rudely said there you've lied to me what else have you lied about nobody forgets the first time they have a run in with the police and I said Well try waking up in a hospital with alcohol poisoning and no idea how you got there. The police felt bad and took me there. When the police showed up they asked me if I stole anything else and I said no, they said are you sure and I said yes. They took me to my car and I took the head lights out and gave them back they took me home and I gave them the other set because I took two not know which ones would fit they then charged me with theft under five thousand and possession under five thousand they gave me a court date and a finger print date. The police officer said don't worry you'll most likely have to do some community service hours and nothing will happen but I read another post and realized why would he charge me if he siad nothing would happen and yeah I guess he's lying so I don't get proper legal council I have a friend whose an RCMP officer I'm to embarrassed to tell him would he be able to help and what legal assisstance should I seek and can they press charges for the GPS's and other htings I didn't take later

[ScottGem]

It sounds like the officer was being nice and was pretty much correct. What you can do is request a diversion since this is a first criminal offense. This means you will need to perform some community service and be on probation for a period. Once the probation expires your record will be expunged.

Go to the court and ask about this.

Of course if you read other things I've wrote onthis issue you should have known that already.

If your employeer wants to press charges for the other stuff, then can. But they would have to prove it in a trial.

[anonymous56]

Thanks a lot I have to speak to the law clerk before going into my trial right? And also I thought I was charged before but I re-read the slip of paper and it says To a person not yet charged with an offence

[ScottGem]

That just means you haven't been arraigned. The court date you have is probably when you will be formerly charged and a trial date set. But if you arrange for a diversion, you will probably plead guilty and be sentenced to community service and probation. That's why you need to get the diversion setup before your court date.

[anonymous56]

Would I need legal support to set up a divergence and can they charge me with other things I didn't steal after I get this divergence or can they try and chase me down and recharge me or something they seemed pretty bent on charging me when they were interrogating me

[ScottGem]

You would be better off getting an attorney, but the diversion can be worked out without one.

If they can prove you stole other items and the diversion was only for the headlamps, they could conceivably, refile charges on the other items. Not much you can do about it.