Stealing Charges in St. Louis, MO - for as little as $450

Have you recently been charged with stealing in St. Louis, MO? If so, was the value of the goods taken more or less than $500? Were you initially stopped by a store manager? Or department store guard? Did the store then call the police while they detained you? Are you now trying to figure out your options and rights? Have you thought about simply pleading guilty to the charge? If so, do you fully understand the long term consequences of such a decision? Are you familiar with the benefits involved with hiring an experienced attorney?

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

And if you are to plead guilty to the charge, then you should know that in addition to this possible sentence, the conviction will also become a part of your permanent record. This means that when you go to apply for a job in the future, your employer will almost assuredly run a criminal background check (and you will very likely be screened out as a candidate as a result).

So pleading guilty is not the best route to take! Instead, we have a much different plan in mind. To begin with, we would want to examine all the facts involved with your case to see if there are any defenses that can be asserted on your behalf (in an attempt to get the charges dismissed). At the very least, we would want to work closely with the local prosecutor to get the charge reduced to a lesser infraction (to something like “littering,” which does not even show up on your record). Sometimes the prosecutor is not willing to offer a recommendation to the court. In that type of situation, the court might be willing to give you an SIS (Suspended Imposition of Sentence). With an SIS, you are put on a period of probation (one to two years). If you make it through the probationary period without any other incidents (like another charge for stealing), then the original charge will drop off altogether.

Either way, retaining the counsel of an experienced St. Louis criminal defense lawyer is far better than trying to maneuver your way through the criminal justice system on your own. And simply pleading guilty will only lead to negative consequences in the future.

The affordable St. Louis stealing defense 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 $600. 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 4500 West Pine (on the corner of Taylor and Pine), 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!!