Shoplifting and Petty Theft in Georgia

Theft by shoplifting of property worth $500.00 or less is a misdemeanor; on a second conviction the fine is 'not less than $500.00' and cannot be suspended or probated, and a third conviction brings at least 30 days in jail (or 120 days of certain confinement alternatives or monitored house arrest). A fourth or later conviction is a felony punishable 'by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten years.' Shoplifting becomes a felony (one to ten years) when the property is worth more than $500.00, or when thefts from three stores in one county within seven days, or within 180 days, together exceed $500.00. A merchant may also sue a shoplifter for the loss plus a civil penalty of '$300.00 or triple the amount of the entire loss sustained,' whichever is greater, when the total claim is under $5,000 and written-demand rules are followed (§ 51-10-6).

Georgia's rule on court-appointed lawyers: Applicants must complete and sign an application and verification and are interviewed at the detention center or the public defender's office. Income standards under O.C.G.A. § 17-12-2, as stated by the public defender office: for misdemeanors, probation violations and county or municipal offenses, a person who 'earns less than 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines'; for juveniles, those 'whose parents earn less than 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines'; for felonies, 'less than 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines' — each with an exception for people with other resources that could reasonably pay for a lawyer, and no one with income above 150 percent of the federal poverty level is considered indigent. Application fee: Georgia law requires every person who applies for public defense services 'to pay the Public Defender Office a single fee of $50'; 'The court shall waive this fee if it finds that you are unable to pay the fee or that hardship will result if the fee is charged.' Attorney fees for court-appointed representation may also be imposed by the court at sentencing. O.C.G.A. §§ 15-21A-6(b), 17-12-2 (as quoted by the Chatham County Public Defender Office, Eastern Judicial Circuit)

Lawyers set their own fees, and Georgia has rules on how they may charge. See hiring a criminal defense lawyer in Georgia for fee rules, how to check a lawyer's license and free help.

Each state sets its own rules for sealing or expunging records. See Georgia expungement and record sealing rules.