In England plenty of people get 'cautioned' especially if first-timers. There's a reasoned argument that goes something along the lines of 'most people only go through the criminal justice system once and so it is probably best to divert from the court part and avoid "contamination" with more seasoned offenders'. Oh, and it's much cheaper.
Offenders have to accept their guilt, formal caution is undertaken by Police and although for purposes of 'convictions' the miscreant doesn't have one, the event does appear on the list of convictions provided in any subsequent criminal prosecutions. And, I suspect, on any data churned out by the criminal records agency/bureau/thingy before one can work with various groups.
I purchased at great expense a Heston Blumenthal oven thermometer. Now returned as useless. I suspect he didn't actually check it at all.
Although he may yet turn it around by a stint in the Priory I confess that I do feel a tad sorry for the AWT chap as the potential fall is quite spectacularly long in comparison to the crime.
And also, whilst he probably isn't getting many nowadays, he may suffer some reduction in Robin Cook looky-likey gigs.
