After thinking for several months that it would make a difference, after my medical records were subpoenaed, after crying about the medication causing me all these problems...
I was told today that I should take the plea.
Because if I got up on the stand and said that I was stealing stuff under the influence of this medication, and that I was doing it all the time that I was risking more than 3 years of probation. I was risking jail time.
Because my reaction to the medication was severe and out of the ordinary, even if my doctor and counselor were willing testify for me that it was medication related, it didn't matter.
To a jury...
My tears were crocodile tears.
My defense began to sound like, "The devil made me do it."
It doesn't matter that these impulses are gone after getting off the medication. Never mind that my hair is still in the process of growing back. No matter that my face is scarred from acne. Never mind all of that. Never mind the truth.
Thanks to the Twinkie defense, it sounds like "The devil made me do it."
My attorney said, "I don't care what the truth is. I care about protecting you."
When I entered my plea, the judge seemed to feel sorry for me from the expression on his face. Maybe he knew that pleas aren't always the truth. I was so disoriented I couldn't find my car in the parking lot. I lost my favorite pair of sunglasses somewhere. I have to pay fines and restitution. I now have a record with two misdemeanors. I have to do community service.
People have lied to me. My first lawyers said "Trespassing isn't priorable." When I first went in to talk to someone at the DA's office. I was told, "You have a good case for trial." Another attorney decided to subpoena all of my medical documents because he said he believed me. Today I was told by my final attorney, "He just didn't have the backbone to tell you. He knew he was being transferred and so he left it to me to tell you the truth."
The "Irresistible Impulse" defense didn't work. "Entrapment" didn't work either. The drug defense didn't work because she had friends who said they had friends who were on that same drug and they didn't do those things.
So all that was left was, "The devil made me do it." No one believes in the devil anymore. And no one believes he can do anything.
Shit.
I took the plea.
Showing posts with label Consequences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Consequences. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Why Do People Shoplift? (for those who don't understand.)
I think it might also be to fill a void. Many people shoplift after a great loss. This means that people would be better served with counseling than with tying up the criminal court system.
by Peter Berlin
In simple and concise terms... "TO GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING."
While we all like to get things for free and the stores are constantly promoting and placing merchandise on "SALE" to generate excitement about getting a bargain, most people don't cross over the line and steal the item. But some people do. Why?
The answer is... to most non-professional shoplifters, "getting something for nothing" is like giving themselves a "gift" or "reward," which in turn gives them a "lift." Many people feel they need a "lift" just to get through the week or even the day. A study by MasterCard International found that shopping was second only to dining as the primary way people reward themselves. Take it one step further and you can see how "shoplifting" the merchandise increases the reward.
Getting Something for Nothing
It's important to understand that "getting something for nothing" always represents something more to the shoplifter than the value of the merchandise. For different people it can represent any of the following things:
For some, it's a "substitute for loss" because they perceived they were unfairly deprived in some way (i.e., a divorce, a serious illness, death of a loved one, loss of income from a job or investments, or an unexpected expense which can cause people to feel needy). Stealing a bottle of shampoo, for example, can temporarily help to relieve the anxiety about their financial situation and gives them a feeling that they are more in control.
For others, it's "justified payback" for all they give to others and how little they get back in return.
For some, it's a "relief mechanism" for anxiety, frustration, boredom or depression.
Several studies have found diagnosed depression to exist in approximately 1/3 of the shoplifters studied. Depression was the most frequently found physiological problem. This helps to explain why so many shoplifters steal from stores on their birthday and around holiday times.
Any way you look at it, shoplifters perceive shoplifting as a form of self nourishment or as a way to relieve fear or pain in their life. In truth, shoplifting is self-destructive not self-nourishing, but shoplifters often can’t see the paradox.
For almost all non-professional shoplifters, stealing from stores is basically a reflection of a person's ability (or inability) to cope with a multitude of situations in his or her life. It's a response to their personal life situations. While these unhappy life situations may not easily be changed (or may recur from time to time) shoplifters must learn how to cope with these situations in a way that's not harmful to themselves or others. This may not be easy to achieve, because approximately 27 percent of shoplifters caught for the first time have already developed a shoplifting habit or even an addiction. Many admit that it will be hard for them to stop shoplifting... even after getting caught.
A person's addiction to shoplifting can develop quickly when the excitement generated from "getting away with it" produces a chemical reaction (i.e. adrenaline, etc.) resulting in what shoplifters describe as an incredible "rush" or "high" feeling, which many shoplifters will tell you is the "true reward," rather than the merchandise itself. In addition to feeling good, shoplifters quickly observe this "high" temporarily eliminates their feelings of anger, frustration, depression or other unhappiness in their life. Realizing how easy it is to get that "high" feeling, they are pulled toward doing it again..."just one more time"...and their addiction begins to develop. Even though most non-professional shoplifters feel guilty, ashamed or remorseful about what they did, and are fearful of getting caught, the pull is too strong for many to resist.
Of course, some people don't see shoplifting as a functional or psychological problem. They say, "What do you mean that a person can't stop shoplifting? Of course they can, they're just greedy". The idea that shoplifting is an addiction, “except for a few kleptomaniacs", is ridiculous, they say. “People who shoplift should go to jail and not be coddled or told they have an addiction.” This is like telling them it's okay to steal because they really can't help it.
The irony is that most shoplifters who have developed a habit or addiction believe they should be punished according to the law when caught. What offenders often resent, however, is when they are simply thrown into jail with hardened career criminals and are not given the help or support they need to help prevent them from repeating the offense.
Juveniles Who Shoplift
Shoplifting among juveniles is remarkably similar to adult shoplifting. However, the primary issues related to shoplifting among youth revolve around family, school and peer pressures.
If you were to ask juveniles caught shoplifting, "Why did you do it"? The most frequent reply would be "I don't know". Like adults, the reasons teens shoplift vary, but most commonly it is because they wanted nice things, felt pressured by friends, wanted to see if they could get away with it, or were angry, depressed, confused or bored. Sometimes they are just mad at the world and want to strike back.
While teens, like adults, usually know the difference between right and wrong, when their life becomes too stressful they become more vulnerable to temptation, peer pressure and other things that can lead them to shoplift. This is especially true when they feel unworthy, angry, depressed, unattractive or not accepted.
In summary, shoplifting for millions of our citizens, is simply another maladaptive way of coping with stressful life circumstances...similar to overeating, drinking, drugs or gambling. It is not an issue of good vs. bad people, rich vs. poor, young vs. old or education vs. illiteracy. At any time, or even many times in a person's life, the temptation to "get something for nothing" and the desire to reward oneself can easily be present. By raising public awareness about the problem and delivering needed programs and services to people who shoplift, communities who engage in prevention efforts will reduce the number of people who become involved and improve the quality of life for all.
www.shopliftingprevention.com
by Peter Berlin
In simple and concise terms... "TO GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING."
While we all like to get things for free and the stores are constantly promoting and placing merchandise on "SALE" to generate excitement about getting a bargain, most people don't cross over the line and steal the item. But some people do. Why?
The answer is... to most non-professional shoplifters, "getting something for nothing" is like giving themselves a "gift" or "reward," which in turn gives them a "lift." Many people feel they need a "lift" just to get through the week or even the day. A study by MasterCard International found that shopping was second only to dining as the primary way people reward themselves. Take it one step further and you can see how "shoplifting" the merchandise increases the reward.
Getting Something for Nothing
It's important to understand that "getting something for nothing" always represents something more to the shoplifter than the value of the merchandise. For different people it can represent any of the following things:
For some, it's a "substitute for loss" because they perceived they were unfairly deprived in some way (i.e., a divorce, a serious illness, death of a loved one, loss of income from a job or investments, or an unexpected expense which can cause people to feel needy). Stealing a bottle of shampoo, for example, can temporarily help to relieve the anxiety about their financial situation and gives them a feeling that they are more in control.
For others, it's "justified payback" for all they give to others and how little they get back in return.
For some, it's a "relief mechanism" for anxiety, frustration, boredom or depression.
Several studies have found diagnosed depression to exist in approximately 1/3 of the shoplifters studied. Depression was the most frequently found physiological problem. This helps to explain why so many shoplifters steal from stores on their birthday and around holiday times.
Any way you look at it, shoplifters perceive shoplifting as a form of self nourishment or as a way to relieve fear or pain in their life. In truth, shoplifting is self-destructive not self-nourishing, but shoplifters often can’t see the paradox.
For almost all non-professional shoplifters, stealing from stores is basically a reflection of a person's ability (or inability) to cope with a multitude of situations in his or her life. It's a response to their personal life situations. While these unhappy life situations may not easily be changed (or may recur from time to time) shoplifters must learn how to cope with these situations in a way that's not harmful to themselves or others. This may not be easy to achieve, because approximately 27 percent of shoplifters caught for the first time have already developed a shoplifting habit or even an addiction. Many admit that it will be hard for them to stop shoplifting... even after getting caught.
A person's addiction to shoplifting can develop quickly when the excitement generated from "getting away with it" produces a chemical reaction (i.e. adrenaline, etc.) resulting in what shoplifters describe as an incredible "rush" or "high" feeling, which many shoplifters will tell you is the "true reward," rather than the merchandise itself. In addition to feeling good, shoplifters quickly observe this "high" temporarily eliminates their feelings of anger, frustration, depression or other unhappiness in their life. Realizing how easy it is to get that "high" feeling, they are pulled toward doing it again..."just one more time"...and their addiction begins to develop. Even though most non-professional shoplifters feel guilty, ashamed or remorseful about what they did, and are fearful of getting caught, the pull is too strong for many to resist.
Of course, some people don't see shoplifting as a functional or psychological problem. They say, "What do you mean that a person can't stop shoplifting? Of course they can, they're just greedy". The idea that shoplifting is an addiction, “except for a few kleptomaniacs", is ridiculous, they say. “People who shoplift should go to jail and not be coddled or told they have an addiction.” This is like telling them it's okay to steal because they really can't help it.
The irony is that most shoplifters who have developed a habit or addiction believe they should be punished according to the law when caught. What offenders often resent, however, is when they are simply thrown into jail with hardened career criminals and are not given the help or support they need to help prevent them from repeating the offense.
Juveniles Who Shoplift
Shoplifting among juveniles is remarkably similar to adult shoplifting. However, the primary issues related to shoplifting among youth revolve around family, school and peer pressures.
If you were to ask juveniles caught shoplifting, "Why did you do it"? The most frequent reply would be "I don't know". Like adults, the reasons teens shoplift vary, but most commonly it is because they wanted nice things, felt pressured by friends, wanted to see if they could get away with it, or were angry, depressed, confused or bored. Sometimes they are just mad at the world and want to strike back.
While teens, like adults, usually know the difference between right and wrong, when their life becomes too stressful they become more vulnerable to temptation, peer pressure and other things that can lead them to shoplift. This is especially true when they feel unworthy, angry, depressed, unattractive or not accepted.
In summary, shoplifting for millions of our citizens, is simply another maladaptive way of coping with stressful life circumstances...similar to overeating, drinking, drugs or gambling. It is not an issue of good vs. bad people, rich vs. poor, young vs. old or education vs. illiteracy. At any time, or even many times in a person's life, the temptation to "get something for nothing" and the desire to reward oneself can easily be present. By raising public awareness about the problem and delivering needed programs and services to people who shoplift, communities who engage in prevention efforts will reduce the number of people who become involved and improve the quality of life for all.
www.shopliftingprevention.com
Saturday, December 20, 2008
I Went Shopping!
I went shopping today. For the first time in a long time all I did was shop. And when I mean shop, I mean I paid for everything that went in my bag. No looking over my shoulder. No wondering if I'm going to get caught. No sneaking around. No wondering if my bag is looking over stuffed. No pretending to try things on in the dressing room.
It was a relief.
This is a hard lesson for me... It's been so long since I did normal shopping. It makes me wonder why I ever took anything because in comparison, I feel so much better when I am actually purchasing items. I can think about the person I am shopping for. I can think about how much they will like the gift.
What a relief.
I can think about how much money is going into the mess I created for myself.
The value of the items I took. And that everything I am going to pay in lawyers fees and payments to the company I stole from could have just gone into paying for items that I really wanted and that fit me well.
Don't be stupid.
Don't shoplift!!
Now I have to worry about whether or not I'm going to be on probation, or have the case dismissed or end up in court they didn't catch me on days when I had $1000 worth of merchandise in my bag. That would then be Felony Grand Theft.
Maybe for everyone else, this is a no-brainer. I should have thought about this before. I used to be like that, but everything changed when I got sick 2 years ago. More on that later. How do I explain that I didn't feel anything? How do I explain that I felt like it didn't really matter? I don't know.
So I'm going to say it again:
Don't be stupid.
Don't shoplift!!
It was a relief.
This is a hard lesson for me... It's been so long since I did normal shopping. It makes me wonder why I ever took anything because in comparison, I feel so much better when I am actually purchasing items. I can think about the person I am shopping for. I can think about how much they will like the gift.
What a relief.
I can think about how much money is going into the mess I created for myself.
The value of the items I took. And that everything I am going to pay in lawyers fees and payments to the company I stole from could have just gone into paying for items that I really wanted and that fit me well.
Don't be stupid.
Don't shoplift!!
Now I have to worry about whether or not I'm going to be on probation, or have the case dismissed or end up in court they didn't catch me on days when I had $1000 worth of merchandise in my bag. That would then be Felony Grand Theft.
Maybe for everyone else, this is a no-brainer. I should have thought about this before. I used to be like that, but everything changed when I got sick 2 years ago. More on that later. How do I explain that I didn't feel anything? How do I explain that I felt like it didn't really matter? I don't know.
So I'm going to say it again:
Don't be stupid.
Don't shoplift!!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Mail Call!!!
Apparently, anytme you are arrested, they send advertisements to you to get your case. I found out by accident. The postman came, someone got the mail and I asked if I could pull my ail out of the pile. Good thing I did or there would have been too many questions. I had to intercept the mail again today to make sure that no one in my family finds out. I was in shock. Not only was I humiliated by being arrested, no one wants to keep my secret. I need to keep it secret. I don't want to lose any more friends.
Of couse, if anyone really looked around and found this blog, they also would most likely feel the same way
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Counseling
I see a counselor, what a surprize! She is concerned that I could end up throwing my whole life away over shoplifting if I get caught. I'm going to make sure I don't get caught. I need to stop, but it's so hard. I might end up lying to her about it so that she gets off my back, but then that defeats the whole purpose. You shouldn't lie to your counselor.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Jail--The Musical
It seems like a great idea since they make a musical out of everything. I ended up watching a little bit of a live camera TV show called jail. They arrested a guy for not shoplifting, but burglary. He didn't understand since he had lost all of his money in Vegas and really wanted this TV that was only worth $268. Burglary is a felony. Wow!! I don't think that would happen with clothing. They didn't say anything about breaking and entering, but definitely burglary. I don't understand either.
From what I saw, from having been fingerprinted for work and seeing it all first hand, it really made me think about what I'm risking. I'm risking alot. Not only that, apparently I'm also risking it being a very public affair. Not only might you end up injail, you might end up on TV. That's not the way I would want to be famous. Wow. Something to seriously think about.
From what I saw, from having been fingerprinted for work and seeing it all first hand, it really made me think about what I'm risking. I'm risking alot. Not only that, apparently I'm also risking it being a very public affair. Not only might you end up injail, you might end up on TV. That's not the way I would want to be famous. Wow. Something to seriously think about.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Why I'm Angry
I hurt myself--it was an accident. I've been getting hurt accidentally alot lately. So, I went shopping. Again, I had the intention of returning one item and not doing anything but that. I just felt like shopping. I've been trying to find a pair of jeans that fits and I finally did.
I bought:
$19.97 Jeans Originally ($69.00)
$22.97 Bra ($52.00)
$ 9.97 Undies ($25.00)
$ 3.97 Undies ($10.00)
$19.97 Robe ($78.00)
-------------------------
$56.88 from ($165.00) That's about 60% off.
My sticky fingers also found:
$19.97 Shirt ($78.00)
$14.97 Nightie ($58.00)
$24.97 Sweater ($48.00)
$17.97 Bra ($46.00)
$19.97 Bra ($84.00)
$ 6.97 Undies ($18.00)
$ 9.97 Undies ($28.00)
$ 9.97 Undies ($26.00)
------------------------
$124.71 from ($786.00) About 85% off if I had actually bought those things.
The items were all quite small and fit neatly in purse, pocket and shopping bag.
If I had taken those things at original prices and been caught, that would have catapulted me into grand theft over petty theft. The truth is that once something is out of season, it loses value extremely quickly. They send things to last chance stores for next to nothing when they don't sell at the discount stores.
I think I should just swear off shopping, start giving some of this stuff back by leaving bags of stuff in the store or just give it away to some charity to somehow redeem my bad habit. If I ever got caught both my friends and relatives would either disown me or tear their hair out and cry WHY, WHY, WHY when you have so much money in the bank?
I don't really know.
I don't even really want this stuff and my closet is packed.
I bought:
$19.97 Jeans Originally ($69.00)
$22.97 Bra ($52.00)
$ 9.97 Undies ($25.00)
$ 3.97 Undies ($10.00)
$19.97 Robe ($78.00)
-------------------------
$56.88 from ($165.00) That's about 60% off.
My sticky fingers also found:
$19.97 Shirt ($78.00)
$14.97 Nightie ($58.00)
$24.97 Sweater ($48.00)
$17.97 Bra ($46.00)
$19.97 Bra ($84.00)
$ 6.97 Undies ($18.00)
$ 9.97 Undies ($28.00)
$ 9.97 Undies ($26.00)
------------------------
$124.71 from ($786.00) About 85% off if I had actually bought those things.
The items were all quite small and fit neatly in purse, pocket and shopping bag.
If I had taken those things at original prices and been caught, that would have catapulted me into grand theft over petty theft. The truth is that once something is out of season, it loses value extremely quickly. They send things to last chance stores for next to nothing when they don't sell at the discount stores.
I think I should just swear off shopping, start giving some of this stuff back by leaving bags of stuff in the store or just give it away to some charity to somehow redeem my bad habit. If I ever got caught both my friends and relatives would either disown me or tear their hair out and cry WHY, WHY, WHY when you have so much money in the bank?
I don't really know.
I don't even really want this stuff and my closet is packed.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Shoplifting hurts people
''Last year alone, we lost over $7 million to shoplifters,'' Kenneth Metzner, a Saks lawyer, said at today's hearing, adding that the money could have gone toward pension benefits, opening new stores or creating jobs. ''Instead, it went to criminals,'' he said, looking directly at Ms. Ryder.
I'm going to remember this little snippet from the Winona trial. Shoplifting hurts people.
from Actress Sentenced to Probation for Shoplifting
I'm going to remember this little snippet from the Winona trial. Shoplifting hurts people.
from Actress Sentenced to Probation for Shoplifting
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Shoplifting is Stealing
I stole this information from a website.
The crime of Shoplifting is the unlawful taking of merchandise from a store. Also known as Petty Theft or Grand Theft, Shoplifting is charged as a felony or misdemeanor, depending upon the value of stolen merchandise and the defendant’s criminal record.
Shoplifting is a common offense. It can have embarrassing consequences. Shoplifting can blemish your record and can affect your ability to secure a good job. Most employers are reluctant to hire new employees with a Shoplifting charge on their record.
Shoplifting is not just walking out of a store without paying for goods. Shoplifting includes any form of deception where the defendant did not pay the asking price of the merchandise.
Shoplifting Examples:
Switching price tags
Modifying merchandise labels
Consuming food and concealing the wrappers
Wearing articles of clothing and concealing the tags
Walking out of a store, without paying for goods.
Leaving without paying the bill
SHOPLIFTING STATISTICS
Shoplifting is the number one property crime in America
Over 10% of the public shoplifts
Teen or juveniles make up 25% of all shoplifters
Retailers lose over $20 billion worth of stolen goods each year
Some cities have stiff penalties for shoplifters
Sample Shoplifting Penalties
If you have been caught Shoplifting or convicted of a Petty or Grand Theft crime, you could be facing a variety of Theft Penalties, including:
Criminal Record
Consequences
First Offense
Small fine
1 to 3 years informal probation
Community service
Misdemeanor charge
Second, Third, or Fourth Offense
State prison sentence of 16 months to 3 years
- or -
One year in County jail
Felony charge
The crime of Shoplifting is the unlawful taking of merchandise from a store. Also known as Petty Theft or Grand Theft, Shoplifting is charged as a felony or misdemeanor, depending upon the value of stolen merchandise and the defendant’s criminal record.
Shoplifting is a common offense. It can have embarrassing consequences. Shoplifting can blemish your record and can affect your ability to secure a good job. Most employers are reluctant to hire new employees with a Shoplifting charge on their record.
Shoplifting is not just walking out of a store without paying for goods. Shoplifting includes any form of deception where the defendant did not pay the asking price of the merchandise.
Shoplifting Examples:
Switching price tags
Modifying merchandise labels
Consuming food and concealing the wrappers
Wearing articles of clothing and concealing the tags
Walking out of a store, without paying for goods.
Leaving without paying the bill
SHOPLIFTING STATISTICS
Shoplifting is the number one property crime in America
Over 10% of the public shoplifts
Teen or juveniles make up 25% of all shoplifters
Retailers lose over $20 billion worth of stolen goods each year
Some cities have stiff penalties for shoplifters
Sample Shoplifting Penalties
If you have been caught Shoplifting or convicted of a Petty or Grand Theft crime, you could be facing a variety of Theft Penalties, including:
Criminal Record
Consequences
First Offense
Small fine
1 to 3 years informal probation
Community service
Misdemeanor charge
Second, Third, or Fourth Offense
State prison sentence of 16 months to 3 years
- or -
One year in County jail
Felony charge
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
