Will Payment of a Shoplifting Fee Erase My Arrest Record?

The store's attorney has a right under a statute to demand payment of the $250.00 fee in a shoplifting case. The fee is separate from any restitution payment that may be owed to the victim. The odds of the employer suing you to collect the statutory fee are slim and payment of the fee will not erase the arrest record for this offense. You will need to negotiate a continuance for dismissal of the criminal case without the entry of a guilty plea. At the end of the continuance period, the criminal charge against you will be dismissed. After the case is formally dismissed, you will be able to file an expungment petition to seal the courthouse file and the arrest record. Securing an expungment order from the court will insure a clean background check by any employer.

If you have been charged with a shoplifting offense, you will need an experienced criminal defense attorney to protect your future. Call attorney Robert J. Shane for a free consultation at (612) 339-1024 or visit his website for more information at http://www.criminallawyerminnesota.com.