Alexandria Auto Theft Lawyer

Automobile theft is a type of grand larceny that is the taking of an automobile that does not belong to the person without permission with the intent to permanently deprive the true owner of that vehicle.

Auto theft in most cases is a felony larceny. The only difference between auto theft and larceny in Alexandria is what is being stolen and in this case, it is an automobile. Due to the severity of auto theft penalties, it is important that you get in touch with an Alexandria auto theft lawyer. A capable theft attorney could help you build a solid case.

Laws Concerning Auto Theft

Under Virginia law, anytime a person steals something worth $200 or more, they have committed felony larceny. An automobile falls into that category. Whenever someone takes someone else’s vehicle without permission or fails to return it and the government can show beyond a reasonable doubt that the circumstances make it look like there was an intention to never return it, the person can be found guilty of a felony larceny for stealing an automobile. An Alexandria auto theft lawyer could build a person’s case.

Severity of Auto Theft Charges

When a person faces auto theft charges, they face a serious offense. Auto theft charges can put someone in jail for a significant amount of time even if it is a circumstance where the person is not looking at a huge amount of jail. Any larceny, especially a felony larceny conviction on a person’s record makes it difficult to maintain employment and also to secure employment in the future. An experienced Alexandria auto theft lawyer could fight the charges that a person may face.

How Auto Theft Differ from Other Theft-Related Defenses

The primary difference in an auto theft case from other related theft defenses is the issue of someone stealing an automobile. The other main issue in cases like this is that permission is often a defense and there was no intent to permanently deprive someone of that vehicle. Often these cases happen when someone did not return an automobile and there is a real question as to whether they should have known.

The government can argue that the case began with consent but at some point that consent ran out. There is also frequently an issue about whether there is the intent to permanently deprive. Perhaps a vehicle was borrowed and then returned. When the vehicle is returned, that is sometimes a good defense to argue that because the car was returned there was no intent to keep it.

Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle

There is a charge is Virginia for unauthorized use of a vehicle which is lesser than grand larceny of a vehicle. Just as the title implies, it relates to taking something without permission but without an intention to permanently deprive someone of the vehicle.

Building a Defense

When a person faces something as serious as auto theft, they need every advantage available to them. They should work with an attorney that knows all of the best tactics; what is or is not effective, and what kinds of approaches and tactics to use.

The only way to know the answers to those questions is by having the local experience of knowing what the prosecutors and the judges tend to do. It makes a huge difference in being able to select the proper tactic in a case. The only way a person can come by that information is through local experience.

Value of an Alexandria Auto Theft Lawyer

An Alexandria auto theft lawyer could make a big difference in an individual’s case. There are a number of tactics a person can implement. There are arguments to use in a case like this that only a lawyer knows about. These are not the kinds of things that someone should attempt to resolve on their own.

The auto theft trial process can be intimidating and confusing for someone who has not been through it before. A benefit of having an attorney is that they may know what will happen on particular court dates and could guide you through the trial process.