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Defense attorney in Salinas / Monterey County recommendation please

900ss

900ss

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Location
San Jose CA
Moto(s)
None, but my brother has 56 and counting.
Name
Ken
Can anyone recommend a reputable attorney in Salinas / Monterey County for a petty ($7.00) shoplifting charge? A friend has been accused of shoplifting from Target. She no doubt did so, but unintentionally. She is emotionally distraught, always rushing. She is not a thief and I would vouch that she would not knowingly steal. Fuck. I have advised her to henceforth not use self checkout. Did I say Fuck? Fuck.
 
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hell, dude, one of my cats staggers around like a little drunk (old dude - no clue where he is or what's going on most of the time), but based on the minimal info you provided, even he could probably argue this one. error-prone system. in my case though, it would have resulted in a legitimate charge (assault & battery on store security), but am assuming she has more self control than me.
 
I stole an 8 track tape from Target back in the 60s and got caught. That arrest is still on my record at 74 years old! Plead stupidity and get the charge expunged later!
 
In some ways she is extremely disorganized. She uses self-checkout and is usually taking with someone, be it a fellow shopper or store employee. I have bee with her on numerous occasions and have had to tell her she missed an item. She has a clean record with no priors. She is a frequent shopper at this store (has now been banned for 12 months) and is well known to certain staff. Unfortunately none of them were at work when this went down, not that it might have made a difference. She had me on the phone when she was in the store office; she offered to pay for the item but the man would not let her.

I don't know if hiring an attorney would be worth it. I will take her to her court date, and hopefully I can act as a character witness. I don't know how all this works. I am hoping she gets a slap on the wrist.
 
I try not to use self checkout for this very reason. More than once I’ve had to go back to pay for an item I didn’t scan properly.
 
900ss said:
I don't know if hiring an attorney would be worth it. I will take her to her court date, and hopefully I can act as a character witness. I don't know how all this works. I am hoping she gets a slap on the wrist.
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Probably not for a $7 item. Judges I've encountered tend to be pretty fair.
Likely just get a year of probation, if that.

And after probation is completed, it's super easy to file for a record expungement in CA. No lawyer needed for that either.
 
Mike95060 said:
A self checkout shoplifting charge? Claim inadequate training. Self checkout is pretty much the only place I ever think about stealing out of pure spite and resentment of the system:laughing
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Then don't use them?

I've never seen them as the only choice. In fact, if a store sells alcohol, it can't be the only choice.

I kinda prefer them. They're usually much faster, and I really just don't mind them.
 
My take is an attorney is a bit over the top and a simple I made a mistake and tried to pay is enough for the judge to be lenient.
 
bojangle said:
Then don't use them?

I've never seen them as the only choice. In fact, if a store sells alcohol, it can't be the only choice.

I kinda prefer them. They're usually much faster, and I really just don't mind them.
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Home depot in santa cruz is self check only unless you’re a contractor. It’s a major reason i go out of my to go there as little as possible. To me shopping at Home Depot is a miserable experience. The self checkout being mandatory is the “fuck you customer” cherry on top. I never feel good about the products or shopping experience at Home Depot.
 
it's really easy to forget or miss-scan something in self-checkout, IMO. Limited space, holding things/bags, sometimes holding a portable scanner ( H - D!) ... it's crap yeah. But hey if it's faster...

Not sure what happened here, it sucks, though
 
She is an emotional basket case, and is always in a freaking rush. Always. After this she told me she feels her life is spiraling out of control. She does have it rough, but I told her this is just a bump in the road. If this does go on her record, I don't feel it will be harmful (except for her mentally and emotionally), as she is retired and hopefully won't need to re-enter the workforce.
 
900ss said:
In some ways she is extremely disorganized. She uses self-checkout and is usually taking with someone, be it a fellow shopper or store employee. I have bee with her on numerous occasions and have had to tell her she missed an item. She has a clean record with no priors. She is a frequent shopper at this store (has now been banned for 12 months) and is well known to certain staff. Unfortunately none of them were at work when this went down, not that it might have made a difference. She had me on the phone when she was in the store office; she offered to pay for the item but the man would not let her.

I don't know if hiring an attorney would be worth it. I will take her to her court date, and hopefully I can act as a character witness. I don't know how all this works. I am hoping she gets a slap on the wrist.
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Sadly, the folks that are shoplifters have likely made it so she ain't getting out of this. Retailers have had it with not only the nuisance, but massive financial losses they endure. I doubt the store manager could even call it off, corporate has had enough- but I'd sure help her write a letter (one page only) to the store manager, mention the employees she knows and volunteer to wash shopping carts or something.
 
AbsolutEnduser said:
it's really easy to forget or miss-scan something in self-checkout, IMO. Limited space, holding things/bags, sometimes holding a portable scanner ( H - D!) ... it's crap yeah. But hey if it's faster...

Not sure what happened here, it sucks, though
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I did that 2 weeks ago.
Self checkout, scolding myself for not getting the lemon on my list. Got to the truck and spot the damn thing rolling around below the little kid's seat in the cart- not visible while pushing the cart. So last week while checking out I asked the clerk to ring me for the lemon- she said she couldn't but, after some finagling, she caved and did so.
 
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