Baltimore Shoplifting Lawyer
The elements of theft are the taking of property with intent to deprive. However, shoplifting does not require a person to actually leave a store with the property; just concealing it is enough. For example, if someone is in a liquor store and puts a bottle in their pocket and conceals it, the person does not have to physically exit the store to have consummated the act of shoplifting.
Additionally, if someone is in a shopping department store, goes into a dressing room with two shirts, comes out with one and one of them is underneath another shirt or jacket they are wearing with the tagged ripped off, that counts as shoplifting. Even though they have not even left the store, that would be enough to constitute shoplifting.
Notably, in Baltimore, there is no difference in statute between larceny, shoplifting or theft, as they are all under the same theft statute. Due to the complexities that can arise in a shoplifting case, it is very important that a person charged with this crime contact a Baltimore shoplifting lawyer as soon as possible. A Baltimore theft lawyer can use their knowledge and experience to prepare a strong defense.
Laws and Penalties
There are two categories of misdemeanor charges and a few categories of felony charges, all of which are dictated by the value or the item or items taken. If a person takes an item that is under $100, that charge carries 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine. On the other hand, if a person takes an item that is under a $1,000, that is a misdemeanor that carries up to 18 months incarceration and/or a $500 fine.
When dealing with a value over a $1,000, then a person is facing charges in the felony range. $1,000 to $10,000 is the first category that carries 10 years in jail and/or a $10,000 fine. The next category is $10,000 to $100,000, which is 15 years in jail and/or a $15,000 fine. For over a $100,000, that is a felony up to 25 years and/or a $25,000 fine.
These serious penalties make it all the more important for a person to retain a shoplifting attorney in Baltimore when faced with these charges.
Hiring a Lawyer
There is no separate shoplifting offense in Maryland; it is all just theft. Therefore, when a person is charged with shoplifting, they are charged with theft and the value of the item dictates what level of offense it is and what the consequences they will be facing are.
In shoplifting, the biggest difference is the victim. In a theft case, when an individual steals from a car, a house, or a purse, the victim is the individual. In shoplifting, however, the victim is an entity, a business. The nuances of a shoplifting case make it very important for a person facing these charges to retain a Baltimore shoplifting attorney. A person who is charged with shoplifting faces the consequences of a criminal record, which can severely affect a person’s life.
A Baltimore shoplifting lawyer can use their experience from similar cases as well as their knowledge of the Baltimore area and laws to build the strongest defense possible and to help the defendant minimize, or even dismiss, the potential penalties of their charges.