Don’t Let an Auburn Criminal Theft Charge Ruin Your Life.

Experienced Washington State Criminal Defense.

Auburn Theft Lawyer. All Theft and Shoplifting Charges Handled.

Theft and shoplifting charges are a nightmare. A conviction for a crime of dishonesty can really limit future employment opportunities. Let us help.

Theft & Shoplifting

Theft is considered a crime of dishonesty and a conviction can wreak havoc on your ability to get a job in the future. Most employers are not going to be willing to hire someone branded as a thief.  This is why it is especially important to hire an attorney to fight the charges.

There are three degrees of theft that a person could be potentially charged with.  The degree depends on the value of the items allegedly stolen, with a couple of exceptions depending on the object allegedly stolen.  Theft 1° is a class B felony and is normally charged when the objects stolen have a value over $5,000.  Theft 2° is also a class C felony and is normally charged when the stolen items are over $750 but less than $5,000.  Theft 3° is a gross misdemeanor and is typically charged when the items stolen are valued at less than $750.

Since Theft 1° and 2° are felonies, they are handled by the County’s Superior court (i.e. in Seattle or Tacoma), Theft 3° charges are heard in District Courts or Municipal Courts (i.e. Auburn District Court or Pacific Municipal Court) .

Common Theft 3° charges stem from a shoplifting incident, which can also result in a second type of case. While the City or the State will charge you with the criminal offense, the Store can sue you for your actions. Often, the store will send you a civil demand letter instructing you to pay them a certain amount of money otherwise they will proceed with a civil case against you. Typically, the demand amount will be a couple hundred dollars more than what as allegedly stolen.

This is permissible under State statute. This is normally done even if the Store was able to recover the items stolen.
This whole process can be quite confusing and the potential impact on your record is great, that is why it is important to speak to an attorney as soon as possible so they can start contacting the victim and the Prosecutors in the hope of a favorable resolution. Give Washington Criminal Attorneys a call to discuss how we can help you.