What happens if Im charged with petty theft?
First off, it’s “Petit Theft”, not Petty Theft. The Petit word just indicates that it is under a statutory amount, and is not categorized as “Grand Theft”. Varying jurisdicitons have their own definitions of what constitutes which, for example in Florida anything under $300 is considered Petit. If you don’t have a record and are a first time offender, you may get the minimums. There will be a fine and usually no jail time. But you have to consult your state’s local penal code to determine the punishment for that offense, many states differ with those. The Department of Motor Vehicles is its own administration, and has powers separte from those of a criminal court. Driving is a privelige, not a right. However, you did not commit a driving offense, and so this petit theft charge (or even a conviction) would have no bearing on your driving record. If a cop stops you, first the stop must be legal. If you were only arrested for peitit theft, that will not register on the DMV record. Like I
