subject: Theft Lawyer Defends Clients Charged With Stealing [print this page] If you've been accused of stealing in any manner, you will need to hire a theft lawyer to represent you. There are many different kinds of thefts including burglary, robbery, shoplifting, fraud, embezzlement, and white-collar crimes. Although they are all slightly different, each involves the accusation that one person took something that didn't belong to him or her. The differences are related to how the item was stolen, how much it was worth, and what the item was.
Burglary is considered to be a felony and is a serious offense. This form of stealing entails the burglar breaking into someone else's home or commercial building in order to steal items. In house burglaries, the targets are often jewelry, electronics equipment, money, and other valuables. Robbery is another form of stealing and is also considered to be a felony. This offense doesn't involve breaking into a building but rather holding someone up with a weapon or by intimidation in order to make off with the items. If the robber had a gun, it would be considered armed robbery. Shoplifting involves taking items from a store, no matter what the monetary value of the item. If an individual is charged with any of these offenses, a theft lawyer would perform an investigation to gather evidence to provide defense. There are many times when the accusations are false, a misunderstanding, or were handled improperly by security. In all of these cases, a strong legal defense is crucial.
Embezzlement, fraud, and white collar crimes are a bit different than the aforementioned offenses because they involve numbers and information in computer files or on paper. When a person is accused of embezzlement, he or she is being accused of siphoning money from the company's books. This accused person could be a bookkeeper, accountant, or anyone with access to company bank accounts. Fraud could be anything from filing false insurance claims to writing bad checks. White collar crimes pertain to professionals who typically wear suits and ties to work along with white collared shirts, hence the name. These professionals may be charged with stealing formulas, codes, ideas, designs, or other intangible valuables. All of these will require a seasoned and savvy theft lawyer to investigate all documents, records, and computer files in order to prove the client's innocence.
Being accused of any sort of crime can be a devastating experience. If the criminal charge is related to stealing, it's important to contact a theft lawyer to provide a defense. Hiring this legal representative early in the game can mean the difference between a positive outcome and a negative one.
