3 Ways To Respond To A Felony Theft Charge
Life doesn't go as planned and you may find yourself facing a theft charge. You may have been in desperate times, but you still have rights. If you do these things as recommended by criminal defense attorneys, you can change your situation for the better.
Find Out Value of Items Stolen
Sometimes in a felony theft case, the victim claims their items are worth more than they really are as to receive more compensation from the defendant. For this reason, you want to find out the total value of the item you may have taken. Once you find out this value, you may have a better way to judge the victim's compensation requests. If they are unreasonable, you can talk to a criminal defense lawyer. They can refute the victim's claims and show exactly what is a fair compensation to seek.
Bring Back Stolen Items
If you still have the items that the victim is saying you stole, then you should give them back. It may not reverse the charges that you are currently facing, but it could help the proceeding legal steps go a lot smoother.
The victim may see your remorse and then may wish to drop charges, as long as you can prove that you will not take action like this again. Or, you still may have to go to court, but the act of giving the item back can help your case in other ways.
Build A Defense
Sometimes felony theft charges are simply a misunderstanding. The item that the victim is saying you stole may actually be yours. They may just look similar and the victim does not know that you actually are the rightful owner. If you are in this situation and facing a felony theft charge, you want to build up a defense right away to show that you are innocent.
A criminal defense lawyer can help with this process and collect needed evidence to show that the item or items are truly yours. Then you may have the charges dropped completely.
Felony theft charges are scary, but you do not have to let this be the end of your life and story. If you deal with this charge swiftly and with the right legal foundation in place, you may then have better luck dealing with this legal situation and moving on as best you can. Contact a defense attorney for more information.
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