Role of a New York Shoplifting Lawyer

Someone should contact an attorney immediately if they believe that there is going to be an allegation against them at the hint of wrongdoing.

It need not come from law enforcement or the police. If an employer, manager, boss, colleague, neighbor, acquaintance, or other individual accuses you or confronts you with some form of theft, fraud or larceny, it is importatnt that you immediately contact a New York theft attorney.

If you fail to do so and say something incriminating or behave in a way that is indicative or corroborates your guilt, it may be used against you.

Process of a Shoplifting Case

For a misdemeanor shoplifting arrest in New York City, people are issued desk appearance tickets (DAT), where they are advised to come back to court after about a three or four-hour processing as opposed to being held and put in central booking and being brought before a judge. In this instance, the individual may spend up to 24 hours in jail.

With that said, the unfortunate reality is, on one hand, a person is out, however, if they have a job pending, a legal job application, or an employment opportunity, whatever it may be, these might be put on hold until there is word from the judge in four, six, or eight weeks.

If a person had been processed into central booking and booked before a judge, however, it would be 24 hours.

Steps to Take

One thing that a person should do is contact a criminal defense attorney. The individual may be able to advance the case and get it started much sooner, so they do not have to wait for two months just to start the case.

There could be an issue with immigration that results in a revoked visa, or an HR department confronts an individual because they learn of their arrest and they need someone to answer their questions and explain the process.

It helps greatly to expedite a case when you can. This is part of the role of a New York shoplifting lawyer. However, it is important to note that is someone is given a desk appearance ticket, while that document itself has no legal consequences and is just a reminder to come to court, a person has a criminal case pending.

This individual does not have a criminal record yet and hopefully will not ever, but they have a pending crime that they are facing. It will show up on background checks. Ignoring the issue will not make it go away.

Benefit of An Attorney

If a person gets served a subpoena or law enforcement comes by to arrest them or executes a search warrant, it is the role of a shoplifting lawyer in New York City to examine invoices, business record, books, or similar elements as soon as possible.

If a person has never been arrested, they need to be prepared so they are not in custody trying to build a defense. It is much easier for an individual to surrender on their own terms then have the police banging on their door or grabbing them at work. Hiring a New York shoplifting attorney as soon as possible will better an individual's chances of favorably resolving a theft and larceny case.

At someone's theft arraignment in New York, an attorney who is skilled serves multiple purposes. They certainly can help a person be released without bail or help lower the amount that the DA's office is seeking to pursue. Maybe, the individual's attorney can arrange for a discussion about bail, release conditions, evidence, and fulfill allegations advance before someone surrenders as opposed to hiring an attorney after the fact. Now, the defense may be less proactive and more reactionary.

It is critical to have someone at one's arraignment who they believe can best represent them throughout the process so that whatever mistakes are made can be minimized. It is the role of a shoplifting attorney in New York City to put forward the right defense out of the gate, or at the very least, not expose the person any more than they already have.

Hiring a Lawyer in New York

If you are ready, willing, and able to confront the allegations you are facing, it is important to hire a New York shoplifting attorney as soon as possible.

Only then will you give yourself the best chance to eventually walk away from these crimes and allegations with minimal long-term consequences.

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