Theft crimes can entail some severe consequences depending on the type of theft you are charged with. Virginia law is very detailed when it comes to theft and the punishments can seem a bit complicated and confusing.
Hiring a Spotsylvania theft lawyer can make the process easier for you. A defense attorney can help you by fighting to get your charges reduced or dropped, attempting to lighten your potential penalties, and more.
Most theft charges center around larceny. Virginia classifies larceny as either petit larceny (also referred to as misdemeanor theft) or grand larceny. The classification depends on how much has been allegedly taken. A person can be charged with petit larceny if they are accused of stealing items valued at less than $200, or less than $5 if they are taken directly from someone.
Someone can be charged with grand larceny, if the amounts they are accused of taking are $200 or more or over $5, if directly from someone else. If a firearm of any type was used, they can also be charged with grand larceny.
The distinctions are important because petit larceny is a misdemeanor, but grand larceny is a felony, and a felony conviction could lead to substantial jail time and/or large fines.
An experienced Spotsylvania County theft lawyer is familiar with these distinctions and could explain their client’s charges to them and help them come up with a solid defense.
Other examples of theft crimes in Spotsylvania County include:
Skilled attorneys are familiar with all of these charges and understand the different elements of each offense. They will defend their client’s case vigorously and may be able to get their charges dropped or reduced, depending on the circumstances of their case.
Spotsylvania theft attorneys want to find out as much information as they possibly can about the case. Who saw what, exactly where they were standing when they saw it, what kind of video is available that captured the alleged crime, whether or not a similar situation happened before, whether or not the person said anything to anyone about the case, what statements were made, what police officers asked, and what they were told when they arrived on the scene.
Once this information is uncovered, then attorneys use that to start creating a defense. They can argue weaknesses in the prosecutor’s case depending on the specific facts of the case. Attorneys will want to know who is going to be there in the prosecution and what evidence is going to be used against their client, and then from there, they start picking out all the weak spots in the commonwealth’s case so they can be prepared to attack these very aggressively at the trial or before trial, should the opportunity arise.
Hiring a lawyer can help in many ways. Your lawyer can try and get the charges against you dropped. Whatever the circumstances, your attorney will look at your charges from all possible angles.
Your Spotsylvania County theft lawyer will fight for you in court and will be there to support you and explain the legal process to you step-by-step. They could even make an argument for leniency in cases where the harsh penalties outweigh your alleged act.
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