This isn't gun related, but I am in a quandary and am not sure what course of action to take. Hoping to draw on the collective experience of the High Road members, so if the moderators would show a bit of leniency I would appreciate it.
My daughter, 18, had a little run-in with the law. I've never been to court, never needed a lawyer, not sure what to do next.
The story in a nutshell:
She and some friends had lunch at a fast food place. She was waiting in the car for them when they were done and heard someone say "Pop the trunk". What she didn't know until they left was that two of the other girls swiped a large rug from the doorway of the restaurant. Someone saw it happen and called the law. Police officer shows up at school, asks my daughter about it and she turned the rug over to the officer.
Officer comes by the house the next morning and says the business wants to press charges. Daughter won't rat on her friends so she gets charged with theft. Girlfriends say they're sorry and they'll go to court with her and tell the whole story.
We go to court this morning, all the "friends" have backed out, no one shows.
Here are our choices;
Plead guilty or no contest and pay a $275 fine, she gets a theft charge on her record.
Apply for diversion, pay a $275 diversion fee (if diversion is granted), nothing on her record.
Hire a lawyer (since she's 18 she would qualify for a court-appointed one) subpoena the other girls and take our chances in court. If she's found guilty anyway we could be looking at a maximum of $2500 in fines.
She admits to being guilty of bad judgment but did not participate in taking the rug but since it was her car she is the one charged.
She has also learned a valuable lesson about who her real friends are.
Outside of a couple of traffic tickets she has never been in any trouble before, do not expect her to be in any more.
Any suggestions?
My daughter, 18, had a little run-in with the law. I've never been to court, never needed a lawyer, not sure what to do next.
The story in a nutshell:
She and some friends had lunch at a fast food place. She was waiting in the car for them when they were done and heard someone say "Pop the trunk". What she didn't know until they left was that two of the other girls swiped a large rug from the doorway of the restaurant. Someone saw it happen and called the law. Police officer shows up at school, asks my daughter about it and she turned the rug over to the officer.
Officer comes by the house the next morning and says the business wants to press charges. Daughter won't rat on her friends so she gets charged with theft. Girlfriends say they're sorry and they'll go to court with her and tell the whole story.
We go to court this morning, all the "friends" have backed out, no one shows.
Here are our choices;
Plead guilty or no contest and pay a $275 fine, she gets a theft charge on her record.
Apply for diversion, pay a $275 diversion fee (if diversion is granted), nothing on her record.
Hire a lawyer (since she's 18 she would qualify for a court-appointed one) subpoena the other girls and take our chances in court. If she's found guilty anyway we could be looking at a maximum of $2500 in fines.
She admits to being guilty of bad judgment but did not participate in taking the rug but since it was her car she is the one charged.
She has also learned a valuable lesson about who her real friends are.
Outside of a couple of traffic tickets she has never been in any trouble before, do not expect her to be in any more.
Any suggestions?