Theft in Falls Church is defined not by statute but by case law. The definition in Falls Church, as in the rest of Virginia, is the taking of the property of another wrongfully without their consent, but with the intent to permanently deprive them of that property. This offense can carry serious penalties depending on the value of the item stolen, and have a number of long-term consequences that come with a conviction. With these things in mind, it is important those accused of theft consult with a Falls Church theft lawyer to build a strong defense and mitigate the damage as much as possible. An experienced defense attorney can assist in guiding the accused through the legal process and ensuring that their rights are protected every step of the way.
The separate charges that are included in theft could be petty larceny, which is the most common type of theft and is the taking of property of another without their consent with the intent to deprive them permanently of their property for items that are under $500 in value. There is grand larceny, which is $500 or more in the value of the property that the person is taking. There are, additionally, charges like robbery, which involve a kind of weapon or use of force. Additional theft charges include things like embezzlement, which is theft involving falsification or deception and identity theft, which is also a deception charge.
If something is valued under $500 and was not taken from a person, then it will be a misdemeanor charge. If the item or items that were stolen had a value of over $500 and was not taken from a person, or the items were stolen from a person with a value of over $1, the courts would consider the charge much more serious making it important a theft attorney in Falls Church is called.
A person charged with theft should consider hiring a theft attorney in Falls Church because there are so many elements of a theft crime that only an attorney will know how to best build a defense. There are so many things that the prosecutor has to prove and has to provide to the court to find that the individual is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. You need somebody who knows what to look for and knows what parts to take out in the prosecutor’s case, so by hiring an attorney you are ensuring that no stone will be left unturned in the course of your defense and that everything is examined with a very close eye.
As far as the evidence, witnesses and proving the case against you, hiring a Falls Church theft lawyer will also provide you with an advocate to be there for you—whether it is during trial to try to convince the judge or the jury of your innocence or whether it is during the sentencing to try to make a case for you to have a more lenient outcome. Having somebody by your side who knows how to advocate and who knows how to paint the best possible picture on your behalf is going to be immensely helpful in your case and it is going to make a huge difference in the outcome of your case.