If you’re one of the many of people hit with retail theft charges in Chicago around the holidays, you may benefit from talking to a criminal defense lawyer who can help.
Why Do You Need a Retail Theft Defense Lawyer for These Charges?
Retail theft charges are serious, whether they’re misdemeanor-level or felony-level. (The severity of the charges depends on the value of what you’re accused of stealing.)
Your attorney can review the circumstances that led up to the alleged incident and your retail theft charges to create a defense strategy that gets you the best possible outcome.
The Definition of Retail Theft
Retail theft, which is defined by 720 ILCS 5/16-1, occurs when you:
- Get or exert unauthorized control over someone else’s property
- Deceive the property’s owner so you can get control of it
- Threaten the property’s owner so you can get control of it
- Possess stolen property when you know it’s been stolen (or when you should know it was stolen)
You can also be charged with related crimes, like the unlawful use (or even possession of) a theft-detection shielding device, or unlawful possession of a theft-detection device remover.
Retail Theft as a Misdemeanor or a Felony
Retail theft is a misdemeanor if the value of the property is lower than $300. If the value is higher than $300, you’re looking at a Class 4 felony.
Do You Need to Talk to Someone About Retail Theft Defense in Chicago?
If you’ve been charged with retail theft, talk to a criminal defense lawyer today. Call us at 847-920-4540 for a free case review. We’ll look at your situation and start developing a strategy to defend you in court – and the sooner you call, the more time we’ll have to prepare.
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