Theft Lawyer

Arrested For Theft in SC?

If so, you may be feeling the pressure right now. Will you be convicted? Are you going to prison? Will you lose your job? There is now a public record that you have been accused of stealing – what can you do to fight these charges and keep this off your record?

It’s not hopeless – you may have defenses to your charges, like consent, intent to return the items, mistaken identity, or other defenses based on the facts of your specific case.

You may also have other options such as pretrial diversion or dismissal with the payment of restitution, or your case could be dismissed based on your attorney’s investigation or the prosecutor’s inability to go forward due to insufficient evidence.

Regardless of your situation, the criminal defense lawyers at Templeton Mims & Ward will investigate the accusations, gather evidence and witnesses to build your defense, work hard to get your case dismissed before trial, negotiate on your behalf to get your case dismissed or your charges reduced, and try your case to a jury when necessary.

The theft lawyers at Templeton Mims & Ward can help.

While theft charges are a serious offense, there’s hope. Depending on the facts of your case and your goals in your case, there are several ways we can obtain a favorable outcome in your SC theft case.

Let’s take a look at potential options.

Solicitor/Prosecutor drops the case

For starters, the solicitor/prosecutor could decide to drop the case for a number of reasons. The prosecutor may have insufficient evidence to prosecute the case, we may uncover evidence or witnesses that support your innocence, or, in some cases, it may be in the interest of justice for the prosecutor to dismiss your charges, possibly after restitution has been paid.

Victim decides not to participate

It’s also possible for the victim to submit a form requesting that the charges be dropped. While the victim can’t drop the charges themselves, if the victim does not want to participate in prosecuting the case, the State may face difficult challenges proving the case and therefore decide to drop the charges.

Plea bargain with the solicitor

In some cases you may be able to plead to a lesser charge or have your charge reduced. If you’re charged with more than one offense, it may be possible to plead to one charge in exchange for another being dismissed, or the prosecutor may agree to a negotiated sentence such as probation in exchange for a guilty plea

Trial

Some cases just cannot be resolved without a jury trial. If the prosecutor refuses to dismiss or to make a plea offer that you are willing to accept, the only option left may be trial. Depending on the evidence that is presented at trial, you may be found guilty, you may be acquitted, or the jury could find you guilty of a lesser-included offense that carries a significantly lower penalty.