Having to go before a Magistrate or Judge for a Genesee County shoplifting (retail fraud) accusation does not make you a bad person. In fact, shoplifting is a routinely charged offense in Genesee County by the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office and local city/community prosecutors, but it is often only based upon an isolated incident from a momentary lapse in judgment. However, just because shoplifting charges are routinely prosecuted in Genesee County courtrooms (the 67th District Court, and the 7th Circuit Court), it does not mean that there are not serious consequences or that it will not affect your life in some type of bad manner, because any type of criminal record for a shoplifting offense can have many potential damaging long term repercussions. The bad consequences of a Genesee County retail fraud conviction may include: the loss of your freedom (serving a period of incarceration); probation with strict conditions; loss of employment opportunities; professional licensing issues; loss of educational opportunities; steep fines and costs; immigration complications (for persons that are not United States citizens); personal embarrassment, etc. If you are summoned to appear in a Genesee County District Court or the 7th Circuit Court for a shoplifting charge, you need dedicated legal representation who will fight to protect you and your future.
The legal theories in which both the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office and local city/community prosecutors can allege you committed an act of shoplifting include: when merchandise from a retail store is stolen or an attempt to steal store merchandise is made; the price tag of the merchandise is intentionally misrepresented or changed; or merchandise is fraudulently exchanged for money or other store merchandise. There are a few different shoplifting offenses prosecuted in Genesee County on a reoccurring basis, including:
First Degree Retail Fraud is a felony charge that carries up to a 5 year maximum prison sentence that is prosecuted when the merchandise involved is $1,000 (one thousand dollars) or more, or if the merchandise involved is $200 (two hundred dollars) or more and the person has a prior theft conviction [it is important to know that incarceration is discretionary with the Court – not mandatory].
Organized Retail Theft is felony charge that carries up to a 5 year maximum prison sentence that is also subject to applicable habitual offender sentencing provisions [it is important to know that incarceration is discretionary with the Court – not mandatory]. The charge of Organized Retail Fraud is sought by Genesee County Prosecutors when they have reason to believe that the alleged intent of the Defendant is to commit a retail fraud and to resell the stolen merchandise to another person or business.
Second Degree Retail Fraud is a misdemeanor charge that carries up to a 1 year maximum county jail sentence that is prosecuted when the merchandise involved is at least $200 (two hundred dollars) but less than $1000 (one thousand dollars), or if the merchandise involved is under $200 (two hundred dollars) and the person has a prior theft conviction [it is important to know that incarceration is discretionary with the Court – not mandatory].
Third Degree Retail Fraud is a misdemeanor charge that carries up to a 93 day maximum county jail sentence that is prosecuted under either State law or local ordinance, when the merchandise involved in the offense is less than $200 (two hundred dollars) [it is important to know that incarceration is discretionary with the Court – not mandatory].
Removal of a Theft Detection Device is a misdemeanor charges that carries up to a 365 day maximum county jail sentence under State law [again, it is important to know that incarceration is discretionary with the Court – not mandatory].
Many store managers and owners always request that shoplifting is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law because they have implemented strict loss prevention policies that seek, through prosecutions, to reduce retail fraud losses, reduce insurance costs, and to deter store theft. It is not uncommon for stores in Genesee County to employed trained loss prevention personnel and to use theft detection devices with up to date technology to guard against the costs and liabilities associated with shoplifting. Even with the best employee training and the use of the latest surveillance technology, mistakes are still made and persons are still occasionally falsely arrested due to errors in judgment (such as the false identification of a suspect, false interpretation of a situation), cultural issues, and procedural errors.
If you make an investment to have lawyer Daniel Hilf fully represent you for your Genesee County shoplifting case, he will obtain all the available discovery materials to fully and properly defend the case, which can include the following: police report(s), loss prevention report(s), witness statement(s), in store video(s), police video(s), photograph(s), statement(s) the police and/or loss prevention claims that you made, etc. Ultimately, you will make a decision at Court (with great advice and strong counsel from your attorney) to either fight your shoplifting case at trial or to resolve the case through a plea or plea bargain (if a plea bargain is offered). In some instances (depending upon the particular facts and circumstances of the case, your age, and your background) you can even potentially avoid having a shoplifting conviction appear on your background record through plea bargaining, diversion programs, and pleas under advisement.
Make a smart decision to retain experienced shoplifting defense lawyer Daniel Hilf to help you obtain the best possible result under your circumstances for your ticket or arrest. Again, a shoplifting conviction will likely cause you many headaches and heartaches during your lifetime, including making it very difficult to find a well paying job or to establish your desired career, because many prospective employers do not want to risk hiring someone convicted of stealing. Hire Genesee County criminal defense specialist Daniel Hilf to aggressively defend your shoplifting charge, because he is an impassioned and talented criminal defense lawyer with over 20 years of experience inside and outside of courtrooms helping clients obtain great results in Court.
If you have been accused of shoplifting in Genesee County, the right time is now to make an impactful decision regarding your legal representation by contacting us for help right away.
Shoplifting defense in Genesee County Michigan includes individuals from the following places: The cities of Burton, Clio, Davison, Fenton, Flint, Flushing, Grand Blanc, Linden, Montrose, Mount Morris, and Swartz Creek; the townships, villages, and communities of Argentine, Atlas, Clayton, Gaines, Goodrich, Lennon, Mundy, Otisville, Otter Lake, Richfield, Thetford, and Vienna.
Shoplifting accusations in Genesee County are litigated at the following Court locations: 67th District Court Central Division (630 South Saginaw Street in Flint 48502); 67-1 District Court (1415 Flushing Road in Flushing 48433); 67-2 District Court (200 East Flint Street in Davison 48423); 67-3 District Court (11820 North Saginaw Street in Mount Morris 48458); 67-4 A Division District Court (17100 Silver Parkway, Suite C, in Fenton 48430); 67-4 B Division District Court (8173 South Saginaw Street in Grand Blanc 48439); 67-5 District Court (630 South Saginaw in Flint 48502); and the 7th Circuit Court (900 South Saginaw Street in Flint 48502).