The Most Important Step After Dismissal of Shoplifting Case

By: John Guidry II

Its really not enough to get your petit theft dismissed. And the reason why its not enough is because people are still going to see your criminal history once the case gets dismissed.

No, you’ve got to take this all the way. And, what I mean by that is we’ve got to expunge your record. Once you’ve done, say, some community service hours and you’ve taken an 8-hour anti-theft class, the next big step–and this can take months and months–but it is worth it. You’ve got to get that case expunged. We don’t want anybody seeing this.

There’s no reason once its been dismissed for people to keep looking at you, keep looking at your mugshot, keep looking at all the stuff online. Once it’s sealed or expunged a lot of this stuff is gonna go away.

It takes some work to make it go away but that’s really your end goal. Not just dismissal, but complete erasure. And that can be done for a shoplifting and a petit theft case.

The good news is that a recent Florida law now requires the Clerk of Court to automatically seal your shoplifting charge. The problem is, many of these clerk’s are not doing what they’re supposed to, in part I suppose because the new law does not give the clerk’s any sort of deadline for completing this task. That’s why, if you really need to keep people from seeing this, your best bet is to go ahead retain an attorney to expunge the shoplifting case. But if you can wait for the clerk to do their job (and who knows how long that will take), then a free sealing pursuant to the new law is a decent option.

About the Author, John Guidry II

John Guidry II is a seasoned criminal defense attorney and founder of the Law Firm of John P. Guidry II, P.A., located in downtown Orlando next to the Orange County Courthouse, where he has practiced for over 30 years. With more than three decades of experience defending clients throughout Central Florida since 1993, Guidry has successfully defended thousands of cases in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake, and Volusia counties. He has built a reputation for his strategic approach to criminal defense, focusing on pretrial motions and case dismissals rather than jury trials.

Guidry earned both his Juris Doctorate and Master of Business Administration from St. Louis University in 1993. He is a member of the Florida Bar and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. His practice encompasses the full spectrum of Florida state criminal charges, with a particular emphasis on achieving favorable outcomes through thorough pretrial preparation and motion practice.

Beyond the courtroom, Guidry is a prolific legal educator who has authored over 400 articles on criminal defense topics. He shares his legal expertise through his popular YouTube channel, Instagram, and TikTok accounts, where he has built a substantial following of people eager to learn about the law. His educational content breaks down complex legal concepts into accessible information for the general public.

When not practicing law, Guidry enjoys tennis and pickleball, and loves to travel. Drawing from his background as a former recording studio owner and music video producer in the Orlando area, he brings a creative perspective to his legal practice and continues to apply his passion for video production to his educational content.