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Shoplifting is a serious offense in the city of Denham Springs, Louisiana and dealing with these charges can end up being a nightmare and you don’t want that.
As it is, shoplifting is a very common kind of theft charge everywhere you look especially in Denham springs. Almost every age of life can find themselves facing a shoplifting conviction. The rich, the poor, the old and even the young and elderly. A shoplifting charge could involve various allegations such as walking out of a store or merchant with an item and not paying for it. It also includes the switching up of price tags to collect the item for a much lower price than intended. Another way shoplifting can occur is the wearing of clothes inside a clothing store and taking it out without paying or detection. It can also include leaving a restaurant without paying as well. If an individual is found guilty for any of these charges, they come with serious consequences such as penalties. These penalties include fines and jail sentences. You can get both or either or.
Quite a lot of people have been found guilty in a shoplifting case and this makes others feel like the consequences attached to it cannot be severe but they are greatly mistaken. It is even worse for individuals who perform shoplifting on a much larger scale. This could be employees being accused of planning with friends to charge the wrong price or even provide a good opportunity for them to get away with an item without being caught stealing or leaving. If you or even your loved one is found guilty for any of this kind of crime then you would require a criminal defense attorney. As little as the crime may seem to you, it comes with its own consequences which are not pleasant, to say the least.
So it doesn’t matter the type of shoplifting you or even your loved one such as family or friend is being accused of, it is very important you contact a Denham springs shoplifting attorney to handle all the charges and give you the best advice on how to go about it.
Chances are your teenager must have decided to shoplift for various reasons. For fun, out of spite, etc. but this shouldn’t be the end of the world for both of you. Some stores tend to have a zero-tolerance policy and they go all out in the full prosecution of any theft that is present in their store. The values of the item or items stolen are very important as well. A smaller or petty theft tends to be charged as a misdemeanor meanwhile a grand theft tends to involve a much higher amount and this can lead to an individual being sentenced to a year or even more in prison.
Lots of shoplifting cases, a huge percentage at that, and petty theft cases tend to involve mostly juveniles and teenagers. It could be from influence from the wrong crowd and this could lead to making poor decisions, or resentment or anger, whatever the case may be, you just remember that instead of wasting your time worrying or scolding your child, you can consult a criminal defense attorney immediately. This gives you a better insight on what to do next and how to go about it to ensure your child either gets a reduced penalty or have the charges dropped completely.
Evidence for a shoplifting crime is usually not hard to find, one of them includes a video camera as this is quite the strongest evidence so far as well as various testimonies from the store employees. But that shouldn’t worry you as prosecutors have quite a high burden proof wise and getting the right and dedicated criminal defense attorney can help protect your child or even your rights no matter how the case turns out to be.
Reasons, why it is important to address this almost immediately, including the fact that this could be on your criminal record permanently and it can make life a lot more difficult. This includes finding it hard to get a job, losing your job, even losing out on a scholarship just because you didn’t make the right decisions are the right time.
· If the alleged stolen goods from Walmart are worth less than $1000 with no prior shoplifting convictions: If a person steals goods worth less than $1000 and has no previous shoplifting history, he/she may either pay a fine of $1000 and/or spend 6 months in jail.
· If the alleged stolen goods are worth $1000 or more but less than $5000 with no prior shoplifting case: if a person shoplifts goods worth $1000 or more but less than $5000 and has had no prior shoplifting cases, he/she may be looking at either pay a fine of $1000 and/or spend up to two years in jail. This is a felony.
· When the alleged value of goods amounts to a value of $5000 or more, but less than a value of $25,000, the offender shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than 10 years, or may be fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or both.
· If the alleged goods amount to a value of $25,000 or more, the defendant shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than 20 years, or may be fined not more than fifty thousand dollars, or both.
· If the amount is less than $1000 but the defendant has two prior theft convictions, the third becomes a felony punishable by two years in prison.
· Value is added up: When there has been a misappropriation or taking by a multiple separate acts of the defendant, the total of the amount of the thefts shall determine the grade of the offense.
As you can see, these charges are not something that you should take lightly for any reason. However, a lot of people do not quite realize this until it is too late and until they have been arrested or convicted. That means if you and your family member is facing charges for a crime like stealing at Walmart, a criminal defense attorney could be able to give you the best possible outcomes than embark on this journey alone.
Carl Barkemeyer, criminal defense attorney, understands all the consequences associated with a crime such as shoplifting and do our very best to ensure you get the best sentence possible for your case. We work to either get your charges dropped completely or reduced significantly. That is why we advise individuals to call immediately they have been accused and let us handle the rest.
So, if you need a criminal defense attorney for your shoplifting case from Walmart in Denham Springs, contact us today.
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