Shoplifting Charges at Sears in St. Louis, MO - for as little as $450

Have you recently been charged with (or accused of) shoplifting (or petty theft) at a Sears store in St. Louis (or somewhere in the surrounding area)? Do you know what the consequences of such a charge are if you do nothing? Do you know about the possible jail time and fines that are associated with pleading guilty? Was the value of the goods allegedly stolen more or less than $500? Do you know why that is an important question? Are you aware of the benefits of that come with hiring an experienced attorney to help you through the process?

To begin with, if you do not hire an attorney, and simply plead guilty, you should be aware of the potential consequences:

As of January 1, 2017, the following laws regarding stealing / theft / shoplifting went into effect:

1. If you are caught with goods valuing less than $150, and you have had no prior stealing-related charges, it is a Class D Misdemeanor
2. If you are caught with goods valuing between $150 - $750, it is a Class A Misdemeanor
3. If you are caught stealing an animal; or if you have been previously found guilty of three 93) stealing-related cases within ten (10) years of the present case, it is a Class E Felony
4. If you are caught with goods valuing between $750 - $25,000, it is a Class D Felony
5. If you are caught with goods valuing $25,000 or more, it is a Class C Felony

So clearly it is far better to get the advice of a good lawyer before you do anything!!

What can a good lawyer do for you? At The Bankruptcy Company, our goal is to achieve one of two things: 1) get the charges reduced to some lesser infraction (like “littering,” which does not even show up on your permanent record); or 2) get the charges dropped altogether (this possibility is sometimes available if the security guard that allegedly saw you trying to steal something unlawfully detained you). But again, if you simply plead guilty to the charges, then the theft will go on your record (and there is no way to take it off once it is there!!) This can have serious repercussion on whether or not you get a decent job in the future.

The affordable St. Louis shoplifting attorneys at The Bankruptcy Company, have been helping people with their theft charges for over ten (10) years. Our goal is to make sure that the charges leveled against you do not stay on your permanent record, and do any lasting damage. And we want to do all of this at an affordable price. The fees for a typical shoplifting case start at $450. But the initial consultation to discuss your legal issues is free of charge. So contact us today!!

We have two main locations: in the Central West End of St. Louis, at 1 North Taylor (on the corner of Taylor and Laclede), 63108; and in the Twin Cities of Festus / Crystal City, at 1000 Truman Blvd (Highway 61/67), 63019. The initial consultation is free of charge. So contact us today to learn more!!