Baltimore Theft Penalties
There are a number of serious consequences an individual accused of theft may face if charged in Baltimore. Primarily, an individual will face fines and potentially jail time depending on the severity of the offense. Furthermore, those facing theft-related offenses often have restrictions placed on them and may be put on probation for up to 5 years, requiring them to pay supervision fees and check in with agents. Due to these serious consequences, it is imperative those accused consult with a Baltimore theft lawyer as soon as possible to discuss their case and begin building a defense.
Misdemeanor Penalties
There are two categories of misdemeanor theft charges. There is theft under $100 and theft under $1,000. Theft under $100 carries up to 90 days incarceration and/or a fine. On the other hand, a theft under $1,000 carries up to 18 months incarceration and/or a fine.
Felony Consequences
Just like a misdemeanor, there are several categories of felony theft. Felony theft is any theft over a $1,000 in value. It is categorized as follows: it is theft from $1,000 to $10,000; $10,000 to $100,000; $100,000 to $1,000,000; and so on.
Depending on the value of the alleged items that were stolen, incarceration is possible. The felony theft charge of $1,000 to $10,000 carries up to 10 years in jail, and/or a $10,000 fine; $10,000 to $100,000 is 15 years in jail and/or a $15,000 fine; $100,000 and up is 25 years and/or a $25,000 fine. All those are felonies and all are defined by just the value of the item or items at issue.
Harshest Penalties
A person could receive the maximum possible incarceration and the maximum fine, and could be put on probation for up to five years with stringent supervisory requirements or restrictions. Additionally, they would be a convicted felon for the rest of their life.
Effect of Prior Charges
If they are still on probation for a prior charge, the individual convicted could have a violation of probation in addition to the new charges. Also, it makes it more likely that a judge will impose a harsher sentence or more time in incarceration as they did not learn their lesson the last time.
Consulting With An Attorney
The first things that most people want to know about being accused of theft are what going to happen and what they can expect. People are in uncharted territory. They have no idea what to expect, what should be coming, what is going to happen, or what the time frame is.
With this in mind, the first thing our firm does is offer some sort of comfort or a voice of reason amidst all the chaos. The purpose of coming to an attorney is to be guided through the very treacherous waters that are the criminal justice field. We begin the guidance process by explaining the procedure as well as possible outcomes and what we can do in every possible way to get the best possible result out of the conclusion of the theft case.
Our firm has represented a large number of clients in the Baltimore area for all types of theft charges. Now, Baltimore is comprised of multiple courthouses depending on the jurisdiction or what area of Baltimore it is, but the procedure is ultimately the same.