Can a Class A misdemeanor be dropped?

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asked Dec 2, 2021 in Law Enforcement/Police by ooo1mate (1,030 points)
Can a Class A misdemeanor be dropped?

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answered Dec 2, 2021 by Jasire (26,200 points)
A Class A misdemeanor charge can be dropped if you're successful in petitioning the expungement of the class a misdemeanor in court.

A misdemeanor stays on your record for life unless you successfully petition for expungement.

There is no preset “expiration date” for misdemeanor crimes.

Even though misdemeanor offenses are less serious than felonies, they are still serious breaches in the eyes of the law.

Class A Misdemeanors are not automatically expunged from your record after a certain amount of time has passed.

The conviction will remain on your record unless you petition the court to have it removed.

Another option is to ask the court to seal the record so that it does not appear in background checks.

Retail Theft is pretty bad and it not only affects the person stealing but also the business and customers.

When things are stolen from businesses the business loses money on those items and then they have to raise the price of the merchandise to compensate for the loss.

So other customers end up paying for the items or item someone else stole.

The consequences of retail theft include being found guilty of a property crime, and depend on the severity of the crime and the criminal record — or lack thereof — of the person who committed the crime.

Most occurrences are as unique as the people committing them.

During a shoplift you'll be caught because the aisles are always being watched by someone or a camera.

Then when you get caught shoplifting the police will be called and then the police will talk to you and may also look at camera footage.

The police may then either arrest you or they may write you a notice to appear in court on a certain date.

If you don't appear in court then a bench warrant will be issued for your arrest and you'll go to jail.

Shoplifting usually involves concealing items on the person or an accomplice, and leaving the store without paying.

However, shoplifting can also include price switching (swapping the price labels of different goods), refund fraud, and "grazing" (eating or sampling a store's goods while in the store).

Theft in the amount of $1,500.00 or more is classed as a Felony in Kansas and most other states.

When the defendant has previous convictions, the charge may be elevated and the penalties enhanced.

Theft of property or services valued at $1,500.00 to $25,000 is charged as a Severity Level 9 felony punishable by 5 to 17 months prison sentence and/or a fine of up to $100,000.

A person has up to 2 years to prosecute someone for shoplifting or other misdemeanor crimes.

The time limit for prosecuting or charging someone with a crime is known as the statute of limitation.

The statute of limitations is the amount of time after a criminal offense occurs that it is still possible to make an arrest.

The statute of limitations for shoplifting varies based on the value of the merchandise stolen.

For misdemeanor cases of theft, the statute is two years after the commission of the crime.

Petty Theft charges don't usually show up on a criminal background check unless you've been convicted for the petty theft.

Generally petty theft charges don't show up on a criminal background check.

Examples include petty offenses such as traffic tickets, littering and disturbing the peace.

Misdemeanors are criminal offenses, leading to less than one year of jail time.

The length of probation for petty theft is between 6 months to 12 months of probation.

Although it depends on the state and their laws and it could be up to 2 to 4 years probation but in most cases it's 12 months of probation or less.

What happens if you get charged with petty theft depends on whether or not you have any past criminal history or if it's your first offense with petty theft.

You could get jail time, probation, fines or both.

What happens in court for a petty theft charge is the judge will look over your case and then they will decide on your punishment and look into your past criminal history.

If you have no prior criminal history or it's your first offense then you may just get a fine or may get a fine and probation or probation.

In addition to possible criminal penalties, a shoplifter can be held civilly liable to the store owner for the following:

    If the merchandise is not returned in a sellable condition, a civil penalty equal to twice the retail cost or $50.00, whichever is greater, up to a maximum of $500.00
    If the merchandise is returned in a sellable condition, a civil penalty of $50.00 or 50% of the retail cost, whichever is greater, up to a maximum of $350.00 (the maximum is $50.00 if the offender is a minor), and
    the store owner's reasonable attorneys' fees and costs (unless the case stays in small claims court).

Depending on the circumstances, if this is a first offense, punishment may be as lenient as a diversion program, probation, or community service.

However, since petty theft is at least a misdemeanor, it can also be punishable by a fine and up to one year in jail.

Most petty theft convictions will fall under a state's misdemeanor laws, which typically carry a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail (although some state's misdemeanors carry up to two or three-year jail sentences).

The difference between petty theft and grand theft is in the value of the goods you've stolen.

Petty theft is when you steal something or things that are of value of $950.00 or less but when you steal items or goods valued higher than $950.00 then it becomes grand theft and is usually a felony in most states as well.

Petty theft is a less serious crime than regular theft.

Although still petty theft is serious and you can get 6 months in jail for the petty theft if convicted although in most cases a person gets probation.

The law defines petty theft as the theft of any property with a value of $950.00 or less.

Most petty thefts are charged as misdemeanors, which carry a sentence of up to six months in county jail, a fine of no more than $1,000.00, or both.  

Petty theft refers to a criminal act in which property belonging to another is taken without that person's consent.

Larceny generally refers to nonviolent theft and is usually a misdemeanor.

Punishment for petty theft runs the gamut, from probation to life in prison.

For first time offenders, petty theft is often a misdemeanor.

However, since petty theft is at least a misdemeanor, it can also be punishable by a fine and up to one year in jail.

Some common examples of petty theft include: Stealing a shirt from a store at the mall; Leaving a restaurant without paying for you meal (frequently referred to as “dining and dashing”);

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