As Christmas holiday shopping goes into full swing, so does the risk of getting arrested for shoplifting in Stamford, Norwalk and Greenwich Connecticut. Top Stamford and Greenwich Connecticut shoplifting larceny lawyers and attorneys are seeing an increased vigilance by Greenwich, Norwalk and Stamford Connecticut department stores and shopping centers, who are now enforcing a zero tolerance policy against shoplifters. Video surveillance technology and capabilities are sharper than ever, resulting in more Connecticut arrests for shoplifting and larceny in the sixth, fifth and fourth degrees. Yet no amount of Christmas cheer or spirit can help you fight your Stamford or Norwalk Connecticut arrest for shoplifting, especially when your shoplifting arrest was due to an oversight, mistake, depression, or other mental health condition.
So don’t ruin your Christmas holiday with a shoplifting arrest in Norwalk, Greenwich, or Stamford Connecticut. Let a top Connecticut shoplifting criminal lawyer get your Connecticut shoplifting arrest dismissed quickly and get you home happily for the holidays…
The best Norwalk, Stamford and Greenwich Connecticut shoplifting criminal lawyers and attorneys have seen many shoplifting arrests come out of Kohl’s, Bob’s & WalMart in Norwalk, shoplifting arrests in Macy’s / Lord & Taylor in Stamford, and shoplifting arrests in Saks in Greenwich, Connecticut, as well as the Trumbull & Danbury shopping malls. All of these stores have very aggressive anti-shoplifting security programs, and usually won’t just give you a warning or slap on the wrist. As a result, top Stamford, Danbury and Norwalk criminal lawyers see many shoplifting arrests being prosecuted out of these stores, as their heads of security appear to have an open line to the local police departments. What’s worse is that if you are accused of shoplifting in any of these Connecticut department stores, then these in-house security departments will haul you into their security offices, try to scare you into making a full confession, and interrogate you mercilessly, without advising you of your legal right to remain silent. The irony is that these security officers are usually not even sworn law enforcement officers so you should not admit to anything when you are being questioned by them. What you should do is immediately insist on contacting any of the top Connecticut shoplifting criminal lawyers attorneys in Stamford, Norwalk or Greenwich Connecticut to figure out how to best respond to any of these questions and fight your Greenwich, Norwalk or Stamford Connecticut Shoplifting arrest.
If you are arrested for Larceny Shoplifting in Stamford, Norwalk or Greenwich Connecticut, then you should know that Connecticut takes a tough “3 strikes” approach to Shoplifting arrests—no matter how minor the offense, or how little value the stolen items are worth. As the best Connecticut criminal law firms could explain, your third conviction of a larceny crime in Connecticut, no matter what degree, could qualify you as a “Persistent Larceny Offender” which is an automatic felony offense, punishable by up to 5 years in jail. Norwalk and Stamford prosecutors don’t have much patience for third-time offenders, so if you are at risk of a third conviction for Larceny Shoplifting in the Stamford, Danbury or Norwalk criminal courts, then you should consult with a top Connecticut larceny shoplifting lawyer prior to pleading guilty, as you might have a very strong mental health defense or explanation to shoplifting that could get the prosecution of your case suspended or dismissed.
As mentioned above, the Stamford, Norwalk and Danbury Connecticut criminal courts can sometimes be sympathetic to a mental health explanation or defense for your Connecticut shoplifting arrest. Especially when your top Ridgefield, Stamford or Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyer can prove that you could have easily afforded the item you were accused of stealing. In those cases, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism, or over-medication on prescription drugs can sometimes cause lack of impulse control and erratic, unreasonable behavior such as shoplifting. Courts actually care about these episodes and can show sympathy if presented and argued to the court by an experienced Connecticut shoplifting criminal lawyer in the right tone and manner. Mental health diversionary programs such as the “Supervised Diversionary Program”—formerly called “Psych AR” or the “Psychiatric Accelerated Rehabilitation Program”—can effectively suspend the prosecution of your Connecticut larceny arrest and result in the full dismissal and expungement of your case. However, as the best larceny and shoplifting lawyers in Stamford, Greenwich, Danbury and Greenwich Connecticut understand, you cannot just back yourself into a mental health defense after the fact. You need to present the court and prosecutors with a meaningful mental health mitigation package that only the most seasoned Connecticut criminal defense attorneys and lawyers can prepare on your behalf.
So if you were caught and arrested for Shoplifting in Norwalk, Greenwich, Stamford or Danbury Connecticut this holiday season, do not be foolish to go into court alone and hope for the best. Your personal and professional reputations are too valuable to be permanently tarnished by one mistake or a false arrest for Shoplifting / Larceny, especially if you have an adequate explanation for the misunderstanding, or alternatively, you can argue a serious mental health disease or defect that may have contributed to the conduct. In any scenario, contact one of the Connecticut Shoplifting Larceny criminal lawyers at Mark Sherman Law today. We are available to take your call 24/7 over the holidays, or at any hour, at (203) 358-4700.
