Building a Defense for Culpeper Shoplifting Charges

Shoplifting charges differ from other theft-related offenses because shoplifting always involves a business or company. Shoplifting is different than a typical larceny charge because larceny can be from a person or from an abandoned area. Shoplifting charges specifically involve a business, so there is more likely to be surveillance, a loss prevention officer, a video, a cashier, or other people involved that will be able to either provide evidence or provide help for the defense.

Therefore, a Culpeper shoplifting attorney preparing a defense might alter the strategy a little bit from the strategy they would prepare for a defense in other types of theft cases. Shoplifting is so specific to the store that a lot is going to depend on surveillance video, what the law enforcement officer and the loss prevention officer was able to see, whether the person was correctly tracked through the store, and whether the person can be shown to have actually done the act of concealing or altering the price tags.

Defense Strategies

The strategies that shoplifting lawyers will use when preparing defenses in Virginia are going to depend on the facts of the case. One of the common strategies would be attacking the elements of the shoplifting charge, including whether or not the person took an item, concealed the item, or altered the price tag. Additionally, whether or not the price of the item is more than $200 is something that a shoplifting lawyer will attack as well as alibi defenses or any mitigating evidence, such as the results of video and the credibility of eyewitness statements. All of these are ways that an attorney can put on a robust defense for somebody that has a shoplifting charge in Culpepper.

Benefit of Legal Representation

Having a lawyer by a person’s side to help build a defense for Culpeper shoplifting charges is very important. They can ensure that the prosecutor is fair and that the law sees that the person is treated fairly, as well as ask for evidence that the person is entitled to under the law, and make motions and arguments to suppress any evidence that was deemed from them in violation of their rights. An attorney can also make sure that the accused has due process, which means that all of their court proceedings are fair and that the defendant is given the opportunity to be heard, that the attorney can present evidence on their behalf should they want to, and can cross-examine witnesses.

Additionally, an attorney can prevent a person from making any admissions or giving the prosecution any evidence that can be used against a person prior to their trial. They can prevent police officers from talking to a person and can prevent the investigation from going sour from the beginning. It is less likely that the prosecutor and judge will take advantage of a person if they have an attorney that is listening closely to the objective being presented.

Importance of Local Experience

A person charged with shoplifting in Culpepper would want to hire a local attorney because a local attorney is going to know the court system, the judges, the prosecutors, and the police officers to be able to give a person a better idea about the likely outcome for Culpeper County. In Virginia, even though the laws are the same across the state, the local practices and the consequences of certain charges and prosecutors vary from county to county and prosecutor to prosecutor. Having a local attorney that is able to successfully argue and fight the case on their behalf is going to give a person a huge advantage over an attorney that comes from another county and is practicing in Culpepper for the first time.