As we recently noted here on our Morristown criminal defense law blog, defendants in theft and property crimes cases have a number of legal strategies available to them in court. More serious charges, on the one hand, may seem more intimidating; on the other hand, when prosecutors overreach, they open up opportunities for the defense.
One defendant was recently charged with no fewer than nine burglary-related counts — four actual burglaries and five mere attempts — just outside of Morristown. The alleged break-ins occurred at a number of separate businesses in the area. Authorities from across multiple jurisdictions reviewed surveillance video footage and claim to have found physical evidence from the burglaries that all point to the lone defendant.
Burglary, to be clear, means breaking into a building or otherwise occupied structure without authorization intending to commit a crime. That’s three separate elements that the prosecution needs to prove in order to establish burglary, and the defense only needs to establish reasonable doubt regarding one of them. Sometimes a simple alibi is all that’s needed. Even video footage evidence can and should be scrutinized for clarity, for lighting conditions and even for possible tampering.
The defendant in the above burglary matter is currently being held on $50,000 bail and authorities are asking for residents with any more information to come forward. As we discussed in our last post, anyone charged with crimes like these could be facing serious consequences if convicted. A legal professional is often a vital resource for defendants in cases like this.