Benefit of Hiring a New York Theft Lawyer
Accusations of stealing can be heavily penalized. Therefore, anyone accused should immediately seek representation and experience first-hand the benefit of hiring a New York theft lawyer. Should you find yourself facing similar charges, speak with a distinguished theft attorney as soon as you can.
Not many judges and prosecutors are sympathetic to people who steal especially if the accused was in a position of trust or power. Stealing while under such an influence is considered a breach of trust and relationship(s). They will hit the person pretty hard, sometimes that means setting significant bail or a stiff and long prison sentence.
When someone is accused of stealing significant dollars' worth of property or money, it is common for prosecutors and judges to grant large amounts of bail. It may be critical to obtain an experienced theft attorney in advance at least to get the steps ready to prepare to post bail or challenge that bail request by the district attorney.
Importance of Securing EvidenceIf there is evidence that needs to be secured immediately. The benefit of hiring a New York theft lawyer is that they can help the individual exhaust all possible resources such as:
- Speaking with possible witnesses
- Managing accounts that may require closing
- Locating property
Locating property and people should be done before someone gets taken into custody or as soon as they are out of custody so that evidence is preserved and those contacts are developed. Leads and evidence must be pursued immediately.
Otherwise, an individual may lose the opportunity to properly defend him or herself. Even a video may be gone in a week or a month. All of that needs to be preserved. The longer someone waits, the more likely it is they are compromising their defense.
Posting Bail for Theft CasesThe district attorney's office may request what is called a surety hearing for financial fraud cases because the district attorney's office does not want anyone to use $50,000 of stolen property or ill gotten gain for $50,000 of bail. When a family member or representative goes to pay the bail on the individual’s behalf, they must ensure that the money they are posting is from a legitimate source. The money used cannot be part of the proceeds from the theft or crime.
Impact of Theft ValueThe benefit of hiring a New York theft lawyer is that they can facilitate the individual’s release if they have experience with these types of hearings, the district attorney’s office and fraud and theft crimes. The magnitude of potential incarceration on a jail case can be staggering, terrifying and frightening for theft accusations between $3,000 and $50,000 and $50,000 and one million dollars.
The law may not differentiate $62,000 from $800,000 in New York theft cases. However, they are considered the same second-degree grand larceny level offense. The reality is prosecutors and judges are more likely to hit an individual harder with incarceration the more that number goes up or the more times the person did it. An attorney may need to know how often or frequently this offense was allegedly committed and the value of each charge.