Ah, The Old Shoplifting Ticket Ploy

If you’re thinking of committing a crime -- even a small one -- it’s a good idea to call a lawyer first to at least clarify exactly how wrong what you’re about to do is, and what it will cost you. A pre-crime time-check, if you will. A quick phone call could have saved Ohio State defensive lineman Nathan Williams a lot of time and money had he exercised the pre-crime time-check before taking the rap for stealing three shirts valued at $80 from a mall in Dayton, Ohio. ↵↵Williams, arrested Wednesday in Dayton, faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for what he claims was a case of him taking the blame for a friend who already had some legal troubles. He also thought this whole thing would be a lot less trouble than it’s adding up to be:↵

↵↵⇥“I didn’t expect any of this,” he said. “I thought I’d just get a ticket and pay a fine. I’m at a loss for words.”↵↵Ah, the old shoplifting ticket ploy. I remember a sternly worded letter I got for a double murder once. It’s well-chosen, stinging remarks still burn me to this very day.↵