larsony

Its my first offense at a department store,am I looking at prison time-mother of 5-state of missouri

Make sure you get legal counsel (or at least the public defender) to try to keep this off your record eventually--jail time is lilely avoidable if your record is clear now. But having that arrest and/or a conviction on your record could make job-hunting etc. more difficult. Often this could be negotiated down to some kind of court supervision or even be dismissed etc. If it eventually appears it cannot be negotiated down, or you need to discuss this in more detail with senior counsel to review options etc., please let us know...

I might not have the qualifications of attorney or even a paralegal but I know this-if you are in any kind of department store or "merchandising establishment" the act of concealing an item before you buy (pay for it) is legally considered theft anywhere in america.