You can steal and stay in stealth, you cannot lock pick and stay in stealth.I will try this myself if no one replies, it's just I'm frugal and want to keep as much money as possible: so, when crouching next to a chest or item in a store, for example, it will often say that I'm hidden but the eye icon will then open up slightly without telling me I've been detected. Can I still steal in this state and get away without a bounty, or will it lead to a city-wide search for me?
By the way, only posting because I couldn't find anything about this specific mechanic online.