May 3, 2014
Judge Tom
0

Judge Tom

Dear Joshua: You will not got to jail for stealing an item worth $2.50 The store could choose to send a civil demand letter requesting payment of a fine. If you pay the fine on time, that would probably be the end of the matter. If the store chooses to press charges, you may receive a letter in the mail to appear in court. Diversion is typically offered to first-time offenders of minor shoplifting incidents – meaning the value of the item stolen was very low. We hope you learned from this as the consequences will increase for additional offenses. Good luck.
(Check our Resource Directory for more help and resources in your area. This is information only – not legal advice.)

Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

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