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Theft Crime: Theft Offenses
There are a few details that your attorney will want to review with you after being charged with a crime involving theft. There are several offenses that you could be charged with that result in various consequences, many that can impact the rest of your life whether it’s your personal relationships to your employment.
Some of the most common theft offenses include forgery, tax crimes, and shoplifting. Some could be considered misdemeanors while others could be considered a felony. There are also theft offenses that could be considered federal crimes, which means that you would need to face a judge in multiple courts. The consequences for federal theft crimes and felonies are often much more severe than those associated with misdemeanors, but even with misdemeanors, you’re going to need to deal with the issue being on your criminal background for years to come. There are some charges that can stand alone in court and that can be attached to other crimes. These include grand larceny as you could be charged with embezzlement or forging business records with the charge of larceny depending on the circumstances involved in the crime. Your attorney will understand how the charges are arranged and the details that need to be presented in court so that you appear in the best light possible.
If you’ve been charged with a theft offense, then it’s usually because you’ve taken the property of someone else. This could be money or material possessions that you take without the owner’s permission. Even if you attempt to remove property from another, then you could be charged with a theft offense. The intent behind the act committed will often play a factor in the sentencing phase when you go to court. If there was no clear indication that you intended to commit theft, then you might not face a severe consequence or if you were acting under the command of another person. The value of the items that are taken also plays a factor in how your sentenced. Grand larceny often involves taking items that are valued over a certain amount, such as over $1,500. However, this value is dependant on the state where the crime occurred.
When you go to court dealing with theft offenses, you need to understand that you’re going to need to present evidence to the judge or jury regarding your guilt or innocence. If you have an alibi or evidence that indicates that you had nothing to do with the crime, then your attorney can present these details in the court in order to decrease the time that you could have to spend in jail or reduce the charges that you’re facing. Sometimes, the charges could be dismissed altogether if your attorney can present enough evidence to suggest that you didn’t commit the theft. After defeating a series of charges, you could have another left in play that needs to be dealt with that could result in going to jail even though you weren’t sentenced from the other charges. Your attorney will likely warn you about the way that theft offenses are classified and the possible ramifications of these classifications so that you’re prepared when you go to court.
One of the benefits of working with an attorney is that defenses can be crafted to try to reduce your felony charges to a misdemeanor or have them dismissed so that you don’t have the charges on your record and so that you don’t have to endure the sentence that is given. If there is an indication that you could get treatment of some kind for the offenses that you’ve committed, then this is often an option that the court will consider. Sometimes, you might need to plead to the charges in order for a minimal sentence to be issued, such as treatment or probation. The court will usually consider your criminal history and how you’ve presented yourself in court before determining if this type of sentence would be the best option for your situation. It’s beneficial if you have ties to the community or a job as this can show that you are trying to be successful and that you want to get the help needed for your actions.