Theft & Shoplifting Defense Lawyer
These types of offenses involve similar types of conduct, taking something that belongs to someone else without their permission. These types of crimes can result in a jail or prison sentence, but a knowledgeable defense attorney is often able to resolve them without you serving any incarceration. Unfortunately, incarceration is not the only consequence you need to be concerned with, as there are other ways that these offenses can impact you for a long period of time, such as how long this will stay on your record and what impact they will have on an employer who thinks you cannot be trusted.
If you are charged with Shoplifting or Theft, contact Howard Bailey at 973-982-1200 for a free consultation as to what your options are to protect your rights and your freedom.
Defending Theft and Shoplifting Charges
A strong defense starts with you. Discuss what actually happened with your defense lawyer and whether there is any basis to assert that you did not know the item belonged to someone else, or whether there is any basis to argue that the property was lost or abandoned by its owner. In a recent case Howard Bailey represented a client who was charged with the theft of a cell phone he saw sitting in a public area of Penn Station in Newark. The client saw that no one was near the phone over a several minute period and decided to pick it up to see if there was any information on the phone to determine who it belonged to. The police saw him and charged him with theft of the phone. Based on the fact that the property was apparently lost or abandoned, all charges were dismissed by the Court.
Understanding How These Charges Are Graded
The grade of the charge will depend on the value of what the victim says was stolen from them. In many cases, the value is low enough that the offense is graded as a Disorderly Person’s Offense and you are facing a Judge in the Municipal Court. Where the value exceeds the threshold, the charge will be graded as a crime and you will be facing a Judge in the Municipal Court. The severity of the punishment if you are convicted will depend on how the charge is graded.
Theft-Related Charges
These types of charges also refer to a number of other property-related offenses, such as Robbery, Embezzlement, Theft by Deception, Receiving Stolen Property, Insurance Fraud and Credit Card Fraud. If you are charged with any of these types of offenses, call Howard Bailey at 973-982-1200 before you make any decisions on what to do, so you will know what your options are.
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