When a person has been charged with theft of any sort, he or she needs an attorney with a law firm in Vermont for legal defense. Certain types of theft are rare, such as attempts to overtake an armored truck and steal enormous amounts of money. On the other hand, crimes such as shoplifting, burglarizing a building or robbing a convenience store are much more common.
A defense attorney uses various strategies to obtain a good outcome for clients. In some incidents, the evidence is so overwhelming that accepting a plea deal from the prosecution is the better option. That’s especially true if the plea bargain offers a lengthy period of probation instead of any jail time, or if the jail time is very minimal compared to what a conviction in court would bring. The type of charge is essential to consider. Someone who was caught swiping an expensive bottle of vodka from a liquor store is not at risk of the harsher penalties possible for someone charged with robbing the cashier at gunpoint.
Sometimes, however, an attorney with a law firm in Vermont sees possible ways to have the charges dropped, the case dismissed or the client found not guilty in court. The evidence against this person may be entirely circumstantial, for example. The stolen property may have been found in this individual’s vehicle, but there may be no other evidence indicating who may have actually taken it. In some cases, the lawyer discovers that police officers did not act according to the law. They may have arrested the person without reading the Miranda rights, for example. That is required when someone is taken into custody and questioned.
One individual charged with burglary, robbery or another type of theft may be willing to accept the consequences if the sentence is not particularly harsh. Another fears for loss of job prospects, a spouse or custody of children if convicted of the crime or deciding to accept a plea bargain. A lawyer such as Jason J. Sawyer, Attorney & Counselor at Law, provides defense and legal advice to people who need to make decisions that will greatly affect their future. Contact us for more information.
