Shoplifting Summons at Walmart and Target in Hammond

Although seen as such minor crime to a lot of people, shoplifting is taken very seriously by the Hammond Police Department and Hammond City Prosecutors. Individuals involved can face quite a lot of penalties and this is why hiring a criminal defense attorney is important. A criminal defense attorney can break your case down for you and you understand what you are dealing with, how to go about it, what to do and what not to do. So, if you have been summoned for a case like this, it is best to call your lawyer immediately before saying anything to the police.

The Barkemeyer Law Firm are criminal defense attorneys that are highly dedicated to their craft and puts in the work necessary to get you charges reduced significantly or dropped completely. The need for a criminal defense attorney cannot be overemphasized. Although a lot of people engage in such a crime, it doesn’t mean that the penalties for this crime are lenient especially in a place like Hammond, Louisiana. Shoplifting can be permanently added to your record and this can make you lose your job. It can also make it difficult for you to find a job, plus more eyes watch you when you are in an area because everyone thinks you might want to steal something when you don’t want to.

In Hammond, Louisiana, shoplifting is being categorized as a case of theft of goods and this is said to occur when an individual takes a valuable item from a store or merchant without their consent and is found to be doing so with an intention to derive such merchant. The deprivation of a merchant is said to be when a person engages in any activity which can make it harder for the merchant to see the items and this includes concealing the items on themselves before leaving the store, transferring of price tags or the altering of price tags to get a much cheaper price. It also includes the transfer of goods from one container to another, damaging goods to the point where it can not be used again by the seller or buying. It also includes making a cash register to ring any item in order to get away with it.

One of the worst things about a shoplifting in the state of Louisiana is that you get to face both criminal as well as civil penalties. This simply means that not only do you get to be protected criminally, pay fines and serve jail time, you can also be sued by merchants as they might want to collect money damages. Whichever it is, the bottom line is that you would require a criminal defense attorney to get you out of the situation or do their best to reduce your sentence as much as possible.

Criminal Penalties for Shoplifting in Hammond

Criminal penalties are highly inevitable in a situation like this. If the theft of the goods stolen is valued at less than $1000 and without having any prior conviction of an offense, penalties are usually a jail time of up to 6 months with or without paying a fine of $1000. You can be required to pay just the fine without any prison sentence.

If the goods were stolen are valued at $1000 or more, then they get jail time of up to 2 years and a fine of about $1000. They can also get a fine without being sentenced to prison. As long as they have had prior conviction or offense to this one, this is the penalty to be given to them by the judge.

The above mentioned are usually the criminal penalties faced by an offender if he is found guilty. This can be averted the best way possible and that is by hiring a criminal defense attorney. Any individual caught in a shoplifting crime can also face civil penalties.

Civil Penalties

Civil penalties can be an addition to facing criminal penalties for shoplifters. That means a shoplifter can be sued by a merchant for the valid of their merchandise which had been taken and can do so in a civil court. This can happen if the goods are recovered in a condition that makes them sellable and if the damages are between 50 dollars and 450 dollars. Yet another reason why it is important to hire a criminal defense attorney to handle your case.

Hammond Shoplifting Lawyer

When caught in a situation like this, it is always advisable to stay calm and not fight. Complying with whatever the store owner says is usually the best as there could be solid evidence against you such as video footage and testimonies from the store employees. You should also be aware they have the right to detain you till the police come so don’t say anything to them till your lawyer is present. It prevents you from digging a much deeper hole for not just you but also your lawyer.

You should that getting legal assistance is strongly recommended if you have been accused of shoplifting at the Walmart in Hammond or any part of Louisiana. This is because a lawyer can assist you in viewing and exploring so the options you have. This option could include raising defenses, trying to negotiate on a plea bargain, enter a pretrial diversion program. All this can be done so you can achieve the best possible outcome than doing it all on your own.

The Barkemeyer Law Firm provides you with immediate service and respond immediately we are called upon. We work with an experienced team that can help you in so many ways. Contact us at 985-888-0009.