If you have been charged with shoplifting it is essential that you take action immediately and hire a high quality criminal defense attorney. They have the experience necessary to create the reasonable doubt needed to keep the charge from sticking. This is definitely a charge that you do not want a conviction in as it can impact your ability to get a job and other areas of your life.
It is the responsibility of the prosecutor to prove without any reasonable doubt that you had full intent on stealing from the store. This may seem like it is an easy thing to do, but with the right representation it is possible to show that it isn’t. The key is having an experienced theft crimes defense lawyer who knows the law and has the necessary arguments ready to make this clear to the prosecutor. In most cases a prosecutor will not want to move forward with the charges if it becomes evident that they may not be able to win.
Just the fact that you have representation helps your case, but having the right criminal defense lawyer who is experienced defending shoplifting charges greatly increases the chances that the prosecutor will simply drop the charges. Prosecutors know the reputation of the lawyers that work in their area. They also know their rate of success. Hiring the best criminal defense lawyer is the first and most important step towards winning your case.
When it comes to what you should expect from a good lawyer, they should first work to have the case dropped before it even reaches the courtroom. They will do this by speaking with the prosecutor and possible the store’s representative. The lawyer will show that there is reason to believe that there was no intent to steal the merchandise. For example, if you were stopped before even leaving the store, it can be argued that you had still intended to return to a register and purchase the item in question. The key is creating reasonable doubt.
Even if you did leave the store there are other arguments that can be made that it was not intentional. For example, if you made a purchase in the store, paying for a number of items it puts into question whether or not you truly intended to take the item that was not paid for. It could simply be the case that you had forgotten to pay for the item. Again, the key is whether or not the lawyer will be able to put reasonable doubt into the mind of the judge or jury if the case were to go to court. In most cases the prosecutor will opt to drop the charges instead of incurring expenses for a case they aren’t sure they will be able to win.
The best thing that you can do for yourself when facing shoplifting charges is to hire a quality criminal defense attorney. They have the experience and skills to get your case dropped. Even if they can’t convince the prosecutor their is a much higher chance they will be able to convince the judge or jury that you are innocent than you will.