Orlando and Central Florida Shoplifting Defense Lawyer

Shoplifting In Florida Law is legally called "retail theft" and is defined as:

• Taking "merchandise, property, money, or negotiable documents;
• altering or removing a label, universal product code, or price tag;
• transferring merchandise from one container to another or
• removing a shopping cart

with intent to deprive the merchant of possession, use, benefit, or full retail value." As well as with other theft crimes, the severity of the charges and the associated penalties will depend on the involved property value.

Note that misdemeanor petty theft charges are most usually associated with shoplifting from retail stores. Oftentimes, the merchants will rely on surveillance video tape taken of the person taking an item and leaving the store without paying for it. A key to defending these cases is establishing that the accused did not have the requisite criminal intent to steal – that is, that while the person may have left the store without paying, he or she may have not intended to do so. People are often distracted by cell phone calls, or young children in their party, or they just may be extremely tired after a long day at work. In that fatigued or distracted state they may pick up an item and put it on top of their cart, or in a pocket, and inadvertently walk out of the store. Note that most merchants still have a no-tolerance policy to any shoplifting.

ADVICE TO CENTRAL FLORIDA VISITORS ACCUSED OF RETAIL THEFT:

If you are a visitor to one of Central Florida’s many theme parks or other tourist attractions, know that they aggressively pursue any type of shoplifting charges. It does not matter if you have spent a week at a hotel in the park, and many additional dollars at the various restaurants and clubs there; if you are accused of taking a 5 or 10 dollar item, it is very likely they will want to have you arrested. If someone in your party is arrested for petty theft while on vacation here in the Central Florida area, call the 24 hour answering services of the Law Offices of David P. Hill, and we will be sure to get you the information you need to get that person released on bail or bond, and to tell you how we can handle your case without the arrested person having to come back to Florida.

Contact our Shoplifting Defense Lawyer in Orlando, Central Florida

If you are charged with shoplifting or retail theft in Orlando or in any other place in Central Florida, call our Orlando Shoplifting Defense Attorney David Hill today for your free initial consultation at (407) 648-0006. You may also fill out our online form or email us directly at info@orlandocriminaldefenselawyer.com. We will treat your information under the strictest confidentiality.