So when I was 15, my friend and I got caught shoplifting at our local mall. We didn’t make it out of the store (jcpennys) because there were two undercover cops or mall security I don’t really know which it was who stopped us on the way out. We were taken out in handcuffs and were driven in a police car to the opposite side of the mall at the mall’s police station. We were then taken to a small room where we were questioned by 2 women and they took pictures of the items we were going to take. What I took was just some underwear and it couldn’t have costed more than $50 all together. After questioning was done we were taken to a different room to be picked up by our parents.

But, my question is since I was 15, I’m not quite sure if I was actually “arrested” or not since there was no court hearing and all I had to do was go with my father to the county jailhouse to speak to some guy who I think was just a counselor there to talk to me about what happened and why I did it and how I felt. I think my parents had to pay a fee for the items that would’ve been stolen too but other than that, nothing else.

I am now 20 and applied at my retail job as a part-time manager in NYS and they have to do a background check on me. I clicked “NO” for the question have I ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor just because I really don’t think I have been? But I wanted to know if there’s anything I should be worried about?