Question: My daughter got arrested for shoplifting here in Alpharetta and we’re worried that it’s going to ruin her life because she wants a career and she’s been crying because she said the police told her that nobody wants to hire a thief or a dishonest person or anyone dumb enough to get busted for shoplifting at a mall. The cops got her scared and now I’m scared that she has no future because she's a shoplifter.
She was at the North Point Mall and tried to take a shirt form a clothing store. The shirt was selling for about $30, and it was even on sale. I don’t know why, because she has her own money, but she tried to steal it. She put it in a bag that she had and tried to walk out of the store. Apparently store security saw what she was doing and they stopped her when she got out of the store. She admitted to stealing and started to cry. The Alpharetta police were called, she was arrested and now we have to go to the Alpharetta Municipal Court.
I’m writing to you because I heard you are a great Alpharetta shoplifting lawyer and we need help with this and we don’t know what to do and what our options are.
My daughter wants a career and she also wants to be a plus-size model. She’s always been told she was pretty and she recently said she’d like to try modeling for a while. A modeling agency here in Atlanta said she could be a plus-size model and get work with magazines and catalogs. I think she wanted the shirt for pictures for her modeling portfolio.
But first we have to deal with these shoplifting charges. Is shoplifting a misdemeanor or a felony?
G.L. in Alpharetta, GA
Answer: A shoplifting charge is certainly serious. Since it’s stealing, many employers will be hesitant to hire someone with that on their record. But just because someone is charged with shoplifting, however, doesn’t mean that they will have it on their record or that they must suffer severe punishments.
We have helped numerous clients overcome the charge and move on with their lives. Many times we help clients and it does not interfere with their career plans.
Because of the value of the goods allegedly stolen, your daughter is being charged with a misdemeanor, not a felony. That’s why her case is in the Alpharetta Municipal Court and not the Fulton County Superior Court.