What to do When you’re Unemployed and Need to Pay Restitution Payments


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“My friend was caught shop lifting for 20.00 To $30.00 merchandise. She was arrested and its a misdeameanor, she made payment arrangement of installments of $25.00, per month for 2 years to pay $580.00, this was made in court. My friend has been out of work and unable to pay she will pay but what will happen for now, its been like 5 months.”She finds a job and makes up her payments as soon as possible, that’s what happens. As a condition of her probation, she was ordered to pay restitution. If she fails to make her restitution payments, she can go back to jail for the whole amount of her sentence that was suspended. There may be a warrant out for her arrest right now, it’s just too low dollar for anyone to actually go out and find her. But if she gets pulled over for a broken tail light, the officer will pull up her record, and she will go to jail. It is so much better for her to make up the payment before she is in front of the judge again. I am actually surprised that she has not had (or missed) a probation review hearing by now. If she has, then add a warrant for “failure to appear” to the long list of things that will happen to her because of shoplifting $20 or $30 worth of things.

Question: Don’t cry victim. Get your life in order!