Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

She can expect to be part of the crminal process. She needs an attorney. If she does this alone she may be looking at serious fines and possibility of jail. A good attorney will help you walk through this..

With an attorney, and depending upon the county, she may be able to get out of this without a criminal record.

Mr. Green and Mr. Shapiro are right. Your friend needs a lawyer ASAP. With competent legal help, she may be able to get out of this mess with a relative slap on the wrist.

Your friend's clean record will help her get a better deal and, potentially, a lighter sentence if she's convicted. But it does not change the fact that she's (apparently) guilty and it does not erase any of the evidence against her. Her age is also irrelevant to her guilt, though the fact that she has gone so long without any priors will enhance the benefit of her clean record.

Shoplifting carries up to 6 to 12 months jail and $1000 fine upon conviction, but an attorney may be able to get a first offender a 'deal' that does not involve jail, or substantial fines, and may even be able to get her a diversion program that would keep her from even having a conviction. If serious about hiring counsel for this. feel free to contact me.