Chipley, FL Criminal Defense Law Firms & Lawyers

In FL you can only seal and later expunge one criminal episode during your life. There cannot be a conviction, and the offense must be able to be expunged. In Texas, they do not expunge, and that is about all I know.

The police officer does not have to read you your Miranda rights unless they want to question you while you are in police custody. Often, police don't read you your rights because they have no reason to question you at the time they are arresting you.

There are a couple of things that may make a difference.  If this is your first theft offense that maximum penalty is 60 days county jail and or 6 months probation plus court costs.  There can be conditions of probation such as counseling and community service.  The result depends on many things such as: the Judge, any priors, any mitigating or aggravating factors in the theft, if the authorities think you have done it before even if not convicted, etc.  You can receive a withholding of adjudication, which is not a conviction, or an adjudication which is a conviction.  With no priors, if you get a withholding of adjudication you may be eligible later to get your arrest sealed. You may also be eligible for pretrial intervention, a diversion program which would result in a dismissal.    You should probably consult with an attorney.  A theft charge in someone's background can drastically affect future job applications.