In our last Morristown criminal defense law blog post, we discussed a recent case in which a number of law enforcement agencies in New Jersey have ganged up to try to pin millions of dollars in allegedly stolen Sears merchandise on an inventory clerk. They claim she was hooked in with a crime network that crossed multiple state boundaries. The defendant is facing second-degree theft charges.
Defendants charged with serious theft crimes — especially those alleged to have occurred over a period of time — may not know where or how to begin to try to defend themselves. It’s one thing when the charges are for a single stolen item or a single shoplifting incident. In those situations, you can perhaps try to produce an alibi, like a witness who can attest to your whereabouts during the window of time in which the crime occurred. That’s not so easy when accused of ongoing theft crimes over a period of months or years.
It’s also intimidating when you have numerous law enforcement agencies all focusing their resources on getting a theft charge conviction against you. You might feel like they’re less interested in uncovering the truth of whatever supposedly happened than they are in simply getting a conviction or guilty plea out of you. And in all too many cases, this is the truth. Police and prosecutors (as well as elected officials) love the PR they get out of a headline-making conviction. What can you do when no one wants to hear your side of the story?
The answer is: you can reach out to a criminal defense professional. Attorneys with experience in theft and shoplifting cases understand the tactics law enforcement will use against you and how to counter them. They can collect evidence that undermines the prosecution’s case and establishes a reasonable doubt in the mind of a judge or jury.
Our Morristown, New Jersey Theft and Shoplifting Attorney resource has more information for residents dealing with a situation like this. You have rights under the law, no matter what else you may be told. You are presumed innocent until proven guilty and a legal professional will see that standard upheld in court.