3 Ways to Fight a Shoplifting Charge
Fighting a shoplifting charge can result in a lot of time and money spent. However, it could actually work in your favor at the end.
Having an experienced criminal defense lawyer can help you either get your charges reduced, or your case dismissed entirely without a blemish on your record. They are committed to finding holes in a shoplifting case by challenging the procedures and evidence which led to an arrest.
The following are three ways to fight a shoplifting charge:
- Challenge the alleged act. To convict someone of shoplifting, the prosecution must prove these two main elements: the intentional concealment or possession of an item for sale and the intent to permanently deprive the store of the item without buying it. With both elements, the key is intent. A criminal defense attorney can argue that their client didn’t intend to shoplift by forgetting to pay or trying to return the item after realizing the mistake.
- Challenge witness accounts. While shoplifting can rely on video evidence, another form of evidence is witness observation. Your lawyer can analyze the witness testimony and challenge it as biased, unreliable, or false.
- Negotiate a plea deal. Lastly an experienced lawyer can fight your charge by negotiating a deal with the prosecution, and perhaps even get your arrest or conviction expunged. Furthermore, an attorney can also negotiate directly with the owner of the store to avoid court entirely.
If you were arrested for shoplifting, contact our Fort Worth criminal defense lawyer at The Clark Law Firm and schedule your complimentary consultation today.