Yes, especially if you are a repeat larceny offender. An arrest for shoplifting in Greenwich Connecticut is more formally known as an arrest for Larceny. As any of the best Greenwich Connecticut criminal defense attorneys can explain to you, the maximum penalties for your Greenwich shoplifting / larceny charge depends on the value of the merchandise you’re accused of stealing.
Click here for more on fighting Greenwich shoplifting charges to a dismissal,
Here are the different theft value amounts and larceny arrest degrees as of the date of this article:
Yes, but to be found guilty, the larceny / theft must be intentional. The crime of shoplifting / larceny is defined as the intentional taking of any goods or merchandise without intending on paying the purchase price for the goods. So whether it’s an accidental taking or not, Connecticut prosecutors must be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you knew what you were doing when you walked out of the store with the stolen goods. (**Practice pointer: Your Greenwich shoplifting attorney can use video surveillance evidence to show Stamford prosecutors that the shoplifting was completely accidental).
Connecticut is one of several states to impose a very tough “3 strikes” law for shoplifters who are repeat offenders. Connecticut’s “Persistent Larceny Offender” or “PLO” laws can automatically escalate your third conviction for larceny / shoplifting to a felony, even if you stole a $3 toothbrush!
The sentence for a PLO in Connecticut can also carry mandatory jail time, so make sure you contact any of the top Greenwich Connecticut shoplifting criminal lawyers and attorneys before you plead guilty to a shoplifting charge. (Prosecutors will sometimes offer you a reduced fine in exchange for a guilty plea, but it’s the guilty plea that is very damaging to your record).
A big problem for people arrested in Greenwich Connecticut for shoplifting is the online publication of arrest reports and mug shots. It’s not only humiliating to you and your family, but it impacts your ability to find employment. Know that there’s hope, as the Mark Sherman Law Firm’s first-of-its-kind-in-Connecticut internet scrubbing practice have been helping clients get their arrest reports offline, and off Google. To read more about internet scrubbing efforts, as featured in the New York Times, follow this link.
Finally, you should know that one of the best defense strategies for getting a Greenwich shoplifting arrest is a mental health defense. The best Greenwich shoplifting lawyers frequently see teenagers and adults get arrested for shoplifting when they can easily afford the items they have taken. Usually there is a mental health explanation to shoplifting, such as recent trauma, addiction, depression, or family issues that are going on in our clients’ lives. The Stamford prosecutors and judges are very understanding and can work with your lawyer in certain cases to get you counseling, get you healthy, and most importantly, get your case dismissed.
So if you have been arrested in Greenwich for shoplifting or larceny sixth degree (or any other degree), contact one of the Greenwich criminal lawyers attorneys at Mark Sherman Law today.
