A Shoplifting Attorney Is What You Need
If you or anyone you know has recently been charged or arrested for shoplifting or stealing and you’re looking for a criminal attorney in the St. Louis area, please contact Combs Law Group today. We are a top St. Louis criminal law firm with one of the best St. Louis criminal defense attorneys around. Chris Combs, our lead attorney, has the experience and knowledge to help you fight that pesky shoplifting charge.
Shoplifting Crimes In Missouri
In Missouri, shoplifting and stealing charges are typically filed as misdemeanors, but there are exceptions to that if the value is over $500. The value of the goods stolen will usually dictate whether the prosecutor will file a theft as a shoplifting, stealing, or robbery or burglary. Unfortunately, even misdemeanor stealing or shoplifting charges can still be very serious charges. The most common cases we see for shoplifting and stealing include the following:
- Dine & Dash – Situations where the patron agrees to consume services or products and then leaves without paying for the provider.
- Hot Checks – Situations where the patron defrauds the provider by using a false form of payment.
- Changing price tags in a store and then buying goods with the cheaper price tags.
- Walking out of a store without paying for goods.
Shoplifting Penalties In Missouri
If you are charged with stealing or shoplifting in Missouri it’s essentially the same charge and the penalties are the same. If convicted you could be looking at a class A misdemeanor for stealing anything under $500, which carries a fine of up $1000 and 1 year in jail. Or you could be looking at a class C felony for stealing over $500 to $25,000, which carries a fine of up to $5000 and 7 years in jail. Otherwise, it’s a class B felony for anything over $25,000, which carries 5-15 years in jail. So as you can see the penalties for shoplifting in Missouri are pretty serious in nature and require the help of a reputable St. Louis criminal attorney. You should not take these charges lightly and hiring a criminal lawyer will be a critical decision for you to make. Combs Law Group appreciates your consideration and we urge you to call us today to set up a time for a free case evaluation.
Why Combs Law Group?
Combs Law Group offers you unique legal services for your shoplifting case. We provide our clients with the highest level of personal attention amongst St. Louis criminal defense lawyers. Once you decide to hire us as your designated criminal defense attorney, we will begin the discovery phase of your case by reviewing the police reports and witness statements. We will analyze the Prosecutor’s case to determine if there is grounds for dismissal, and then provide you an objective assessment along with our recommendations. We will then decide which strategy to pursue for your particular case. Our process is unique because we put our clients first and we strive to maintain a high level of client satisfaction. If you’re still undecided we urge you to take a look at our client feedback to see what past clients are saying about us. Once you’re ready to discuss your case, give us a call or fill out one of our contact forms and we’ll get back to you immediately.
