Shoplifting Defense

Shoplifting involves taking merchandise from a retailer without paying for it. In Florida, this is known as retail theft. Retail theft can be committed by taking possession, or carrying away property, altering labels/price tags, removing a shopping cart or transferring merchandise from one container to another. These types of cases in Fort Lauderdale, Florida are often complicated to defend, as the prosecution will have video surveillance most of the time showing the defendant committing the offense. A shoplifting defense attorney from Lowry Legal can help represent you when you need legal counsel the most.

There are three main types of shoplifting in the State of Florida. This theft crime can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony offense in the state. This will depend on the value of the property taken with the penalties becoming more severe as the value increases. Second-degree theft is for merchandise worth less than $100 and is punishable by misdemeanor with up to 60 days in county jail and fines up to $500. A first-degree theft charge is for merchandise from $100-$300 charged as a misdemeanor too and is punishable by up to 364 days in county jail and fines up to $1,000. Lastly, third-degree grand theft is anything from $300 to $20,000, which is a felony punishable by up to five years in state prison.

Concerning possible defense strategies, a highly-rated criminal defense attorney can argue that you didn’t know that the property belonged to someone else or you have the right to the property. For all offenders, we can try to get charges reduced, depending on the case details. At Lowry Legal, we carefully review the facts of a case to determine the best possible defense strategy to help our clients to obtain the best outcome possible.

If you’ve been charged with shoplifting in Fort Lauderdale, it’s important to enlist experienced defense for your case from Lowry Legal. We can help you to seek reduced charges and lesser penalties while speaking on your behalf throughout the entire legal process. We can negotiate your charges into lessened infractions, which hopefully won’t appear on your criminal record in the future. To learn more about what we can do for your case, call our Fort Lauderdale, Florida office at (954) 908-6222 to schedule a free consultation with a shoplifting defense attorney.