With nearly 8 million people living on Long Island, it’s only natural that some will end up making a mistake on occasion. If you’ve found yourself facing shoplifting charges, understanding the basics behind these charges is the key to figuring out what the future may hold for you and how to proceed as your court date approaches.
First, it’s worth understanding how sentencing works if you’re convicted. Here’s a rundown of potential penalties.
- The overall value of the items stolen and how much the suspect profited from their theft will determine whether or not a misdemeanor or felony charge is filed against them.
- Fines are directly related to the total amount of value of the stolen items and the profit made from their theft.
- Jail time is somewhat rare where shoplifting is concerned, but could be a possibility. For subsequent offenses and large values of items stolen, jail could reach between one and four years in some cases.
- Your criminal history is another penalty, even if you don’t realize it at the time. By having a shoplifting conviction on your record it will be increasingly difficult to secure employment or in some cases to even qualify for a loan.
Obviously, shoplifting is an offense that can have a long-term impact on your life. While it’s not as major as armed robbery, it still deserves a defense in order to ensure that your life is impacted as little as possible.
To defend against shoplifting charges, your only real option is to find a good criminal defense attorney in Long Island. They will start by reviewing your case and explaining to you just what options you have available to you. Then, they will help you determine what steps to take. Pleading guilty is one possibility that could bring lesser sentences and penalties, but your attorney may decide that you have a good chance of defending against the charges. In this case, they’ll help you in the court and work to defend you to the best of their ability.
Simply put, your attorney will be your guide through the days after being charged with shoplifting. They can help you determine just how to proceed and ease your mind by explaining to you what to expect. There’s no way to know for sure how your case will turn out, but with a lawyer on your side your odds will be much better of getting a positive outcome.