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THEFT
So you have been charged with Theft, stealing, shoplifting, theft by check, theft of services, embezzlement, extortion, credit card fraud, misappropriation of funds, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, or receiving stolen property).
What happens next?By now you should have posted a bail bond and you have received a date to appear in Court to answer the charges. You may have as a condition of your bail bond a requirement that you not contact or come near the alleged victim of the Theft
If bail bond has not been posted, call us to discuss how to get your loved one home or change the conditions of the bail bond.
THE PROCESS
Your first step should be to hire an attorney whom you feel confident in and who also makes you feel comfortable. I know that you feel you want to proclaim your innocence to the entire world right now, but it is probably better to speak with a professional first because sometimes words can be misinterpreted. So don’t speak to anyone about your case right now and talk to me first. As an attorney, our communications are confidential and my legal obligation is to help.
As your attorney, I will, in most cases, begin with reviewing the evidence in your case and interviewing and speaking with the witnesses, the complainants, the officers, the District Attorney or prosecutor, the Judge, and ultimately, prepare your defense package and eloquently present your innocence to the Jury if your case needs to go that far. Your first court date will not be your trial date.
Usually there will be two or more court dates so that your attorney can discuss the case with the prosecutor and Judge before a decision to have a jury trial is set. This time also gives us time to prepare our defense and hire our experts, such as a Constitutional rights expert, police procedure expert, a doctor, a property appraiser, or character/personality witnesses (a psychologist), or a damage to property expert or fingerprint expert.
When preparing a defense, we start with interviewing our client and reading what the charging officer and the Complaint states. We then compare this information with the law, and the facts.
Sometimes a person may be charged because of an accident, mistake, or because of exercising a legal right. These can be valid reasons to have your case dismissed.
Theft Charges Q&A : Houston TexasQ: What am I looking at if I win?
A: Your Freedom
Q: What am I looking at if I am convicted of Theft?
A: Depending on the amount that is alleged to have been stolen, it is possible to receive any where from a fine only or up to 99 years
There are different types of thefts such as stealing, shoplifting, theft by check, theft of services, embezzlement, extortion, credit card fraud, misappropriation of funds Unauthorized Use Of A Vehicle, receiving stolen property. It is very important to keep these types of charges off your record because a crime involving dishonesty may be used by potential employers to refuse to hire you and may also be used against a person when he or she testifies in Court.
I can help you avoid a conviction and jail time by requesting a dismissal or a Deferred Adjudication in your case. Based upon my experience of over 25 years in dealing with these cases, if you are a first time offender, and do not feel you want to have a trial in your case, and yet want to quickly finish with your theft charge without a conviction on your record, my request for deferred adjudication or dismissal may be granted. It is almost always granted for the misdemeanors as long as restitution is made. The felonies may be granted also if Restitution is made. A request for a Dismissal usually requires more time and proving to the prosecutor that you are not in fact guilty, or successfully completing a pretrial intervention program. Once you pass the deferred adjudication successfully, you may then petition the Court to seal your record from the general public through a petition for non-disclosure as long as you have waited for the applicable time and no affirmative finding of family violence has been made in your case. If you are granted a dismissal through a pretrial intervention, you will be able to Petition the Court to delete your records after the apprpriate waiting period and pursuant to your pretrial diversion contract. I can help you through all of these circumstances.
What happens next?By now you should have posted a bail bond and you have received a date to appear in Court to answer the charges. You may have as a condition of your bail bond a requirement that you not contact or come near the alleged victim of the Theft
If bail bond has not been posted, call us to discuss how to get your loved one home or change the conditions of the bail bond.
THE PROCESS
Your first step should be to hire an attorney whom you feel confident in and who also makes you feel comfortable. I know that you feel you want to proclaim your innocence to the entire world right now, but it is probably better to speak with a professional first because sometimes words can be misinterpreted. So don’t speak to anyone about your case right now and talk to me first. As an attorney, our communications are confidential and my legal obligation is to help.
As your attorney, I will, in most cases, begin with reviewing the evidence in your case and interviewing and speaking with the witnesses, the complainants, the officers, the District Attorney or prosecutor, the Judge, and ultimately, prepare your defense package and eloquently present your innocence to the Jury if your case needs to go that far. Your first court date will not be your trial date.
Usually there will be two or more court dates so that your attorney can discuss the case with the prosecutor and Judge before a decision to have a jury trial is set. This time also gives us time to prepare our defense and hire our experts, such as a Constitutional rights expert, police procedure expert, a doctor, a property appraiser, or character/personality witnesses (a psychologist), or a damage to property expert or fingerprint expert.
When preparing a defense, we start with interviewing our client and reading what the charging officer and the Complaint states. We then compare this information with the law, and the facts.
Sometimes a person may be charged because of an accident, mistake, or because of exercising a legal right. These can be valid reasons to have your case dismissed.
Theft Charges Q&A : Houston TexasQ: What am I looking at if I win?
A: Your Freedom
Q: What am I looking at if I am convicted of Theft?
A: Depending on the amount that is alleged to have been stolen, it is possible to receive any where from a fine only or up to 99 years
There are different types of thefts such as stealing, shoplifting, theft by check, theft of services, embezzlement, extortion, credit card fraud, misappropriation of funds Unauthorized Use Of A Vehicle, receiving stolen property. It is very important to keep these types of charges off your record because a crime involving dishonesty may be used by potential employers to refuse to hire you and may also be used against a person when he or she testifies in Court.
I can help you avoid a conviction and jail time by requesting a dismissal or a Deferred Adjudication in your case. Based upon my experience of over 25 years in dealing with these cases, if you are a first time offender, and do not feel you want to have a trial in your case, and yet want to quickly finish with your theft charge without a conviction on your record, my request for deferred adjudication or dismissal may be granted. It is almost always granted for the misdemeanors as long as restitution is made. The felonies may be granted also if Restitution is made. A request for a Dismissal usually requires more time and proving to the prosecutor that you are not in fact guilty, or successfully completing a pretrial intervention program. Once you pass the deferred adjudication successfully, you may then petition the Court to seal your record from the general public through a petition for non-disclosure as long as you have waited for the applicable time and no affirmative finding of family violence has been made in your case. If you are granted a dismissal through a pretrial intervention, you will be able to Petition the Court to delete your records after the apprpriate waiting period and pursuant to your pretrial diversion contract. I can help you through all of these circumstances.