Most persons who are arrested for offenses such as shoplifting or petty theft believe that the object they are taking is of little value and will not put them in serious trouble. The repercussions of unlawfully stealing anything that is not yours, on the other hand, might result in hefty fines. A small shoplifting violation may result in up to a year in prison and up to 2000 in financial fines, depending on the worth of the item shoplifted and the circumstances surrounding the theft. Let’s see what happens when you go to court for shoplifting?
When you go to court for shoplifting, the prosecution will likely offer you a deal. This deal is called a plea bargain and it’s an agreement between you and the prosecutor. The prosecutor will offer you a punishment if you plead guilty, such as probation or jail time. If you choose to take the deal, the prosecutor will ask the court to impose that punishment instead of going to trial.
How should a shoplifting case be handled?
There is no conventional method for predicting a shoplifting case since the value of what was taken might be extremely little, such as a piece of candy, or very high, such as a piece of valuable jewelry. Shoplifting regulations differ widely from one state to the next. Because shoplifting cases vary so much and are often difficult, if you find yourself accused of shoplifting, your first step should be to seek an experienced and dependable criminal defense attorney.
Your attorney will most likely start by asking you a series of questions to get a sense of the situation. You should answer all of these questions honestly so that your attorney can assist you. These inquiries will almost certainly include:
• What is the monetary worth of the item or goods you stole?
• Were you intoxicated at the time of the incident?
• Do the objects you took have any connection to a drug addiction problem?
• Was there anybody else participating in the heist plot? How many of them were there? Were they underage? Individuals with developmental difficulties or the elderly?
• Is video or audio proof of the crime available?
• Do you have a criminal record?
The seriousness of shoplifting accusations
The severity of shoplifting charges, like other theft or larceny-related offenses, is determined by the value of the things taken as well as the commodities themselves. Certain objects, such as guns, explosives, incendiary compounds, significant amounts of a restricted substance, or ingredients used in the creation of a controlled substance, might result in harsher penalties.
In most jurisdictions, shoplifting accusations range from a low-level infraction to a ‘misdemeanor,’ and in other situations, up to certain degrees of ‘felony’ penalties.
Your past criminal record will determine where the charges against you will be filed. Past offenses, particularly prior stealing convictions, will often make the accusations against you more severe. Prior theft offenses in some states automatically result in more serious charges. These may even be felonies referred to as “petty with a previous.”
If your crime is minor, such as stealing a small perishable food item worth less than $20 and it is your first offense, but the state does not wish to dismiss the charges entirely, you may be allowed to engage in a pretrial diversion programme or deferred prosecution. This is a sort of plea bargain in which you must pay a fine and, most likely, do community service.