Update/clarification: I was charged with misdemeanor theft by the manager's Friend on the Force (who seemed to be a Brennan-level shitlord from the ten minutes or so I talked to him), the manager has great fuck all for evidence (that I saw, anyway), the legal battle happens in February, and I'm out on my ass if I can't find a new job in three months/whenever it gets warm depending on which happens first. Considering most places are dumping their seasonal workers I'm looking at the very real possibility of spending some chilly spring nights on a park bench/fire escape/dark corner/wherever I feel safest. Yes, yes, there are shelters, but the ones I've heard about are NOT good places for a trans* person to turn his/her/xir back.
Yo, I'm only saying this because I'm drunk, but listen,
First, from your story, I feel there is more than what you're saying. Obviously, I can't prove anything one way or the other, but from my experience with police and prosecutors, prosecutors won't bring a charge unless they have something. Police will bully you around so they can get a boner, but prosecutors are more tactical in the charges they bring. Prosecutors are more likely to get promoted and paid based off of conviction performance, so it's unlikely they'd waste their time on such an a clear cut case on the facts you presented ("clear and cut" in your favor). Maybe you live in the one area where prosecutors will, but IDK where you live.
What I'm really trying to say is two things. First, no matter what happened at your job, get a lawyer and tell him or her everything. If you did steal, which again IDK, tell him or her so. Your lawyer can't defend you if they don't know the actual facts. If you lie about ANYTHING, camera will quickly tell your lawyer otherwise and hurt his or her case. Second, don't talk to the police. You could be innocent as a sheep, but the minute you tell the cops "I don't like my boss, fuck him, he's a dick" they've established motive and your fucked. The only person you should talk to is your lawyer, and that fairy with white wings on your right shoulder.
The thing about American law is it's confrontational. You present the events as you see them, and the state (in this instance) will present the facts as it see them. The court will accept parts of both stories it finds most believable. So, of course, I'm viewing your statements with skepticism to prepare you for the treatment a prosecutor (and a court) will give you.
In closing, the best things you can do are: (1) GET A LAWYER* and (2) DON'T talk to the police, AT ALL!!!!
*This should go without saying, but if you don't get a lawyer, the minute you get to court, you'll find yourself bringing a knife to a gunfight. As much as lawyers are shit on by society (in re "first thing we do is kill all the lawyers"), lawyers provide a vital service for society, like protecting you in this instance. If you go to court without a lawyer, the prosecutor will surely know what buzzwords to drop to portray you as a thief while you are arguing the wrong points. Trust me, GET A LAWYER!!!
