Stealing Charges in Bel-Nor, MO - for as little as $450

Is there a ticket for stealing in Bel-Nor, MO (or somewhere in the surrounding St. Louis area) with your name on it? Were you in a department store, or pharmacy, or grocery store when you were accused (and/or charged)? Were you detained for any period of time by the store manager or guard? Are you now trying to figure out all of your options and rights? If you are thinking about pleading guilty to the charge, do you understand the full range of consequences involved with such a decision? Are you familiar with the benefits involved with hiring an experienced attorney to help you through the process?

Most people unfortunately do nothing more than plead guilty when faced with a Bel-Nor MO stealing charge. But if you are going to plead guilty to this kind of charge, you should at the very least check to see if it is a misdemeanor or felony.

As of January 1, 2017, the following laws regarding stealing / theft / shoplifting went into effect:

1. If you are caught with goods valuing less than $150, and you have had no prior stealing-related charges, it is a Class D Misdemeanor
2. If you are caught with goods valuing between $150 - $750, it is a Class A Misdemeanor
3. If you are caught stealing an animal; or if you have been previously found guilty of three 93) stealing-related cases within ten (10) years of the present case, it is a Class E Felony
4. If you are caught with goods valuing between $750 - $25,000, it is a Class D Felony
5. If you are caught with goods valuing $25,000 or more, it is a Class C Felony

In addition to these potential sentences, there are also the long term consequences of a guilty plea. When you plead guilty to this charge, it is becomes a conviction for stealing on your permanent record. So when you go to apply for a job in the future, your employer will undoubtedly run a criminal background check (and you will likely be screened out as a candidate); or when you try to rent an apartment, the landlord will run the very same check; or when you apply for a student loan (or admission to college), you could be rejected.

But we have a much different plan in mind for you!! The first thing that we would want to do is examine all the pertinent facts involved with your case (to see if there are any defenses that we might assert on your behalf). And we always maintain close negotiations with the local prosecutor to see about getting the charges reduced to a lesser infraction (so that nothing shows up on your record). And at the very least, we would try and work out an SIS (Suspended Imposition of Sentence) with the court. An SIS involves a period of probation (usually one to two years in length). So long as you stay clean during this period of time (in other words, you do not get another ticket for stealing), then the original charge will drop off altogether.

The affordable St. Louis stealing defense attorneys at The Bankruptcy Company, have been helping people with their theft charges for over ten (10) years. Our goal is to make sure that the charges leveled against you do not stay on your permanent record, and do any lasting damage. And we want to do all of this at an affordable price. The fees for a typical shoplifting case start at $450. But the initial consultation to discuss your legal issues is free of charge. So contact us today!!

We have two main locations: in the Central West End of St. Louis, at 1 North Taylor (on the corner of Taylor and Laclede), 63108; and in the Twin Cities of Festus / Crystal City, at 1000 Truman Blvd (Highway 61/67), 63019. The initial consultation is free of charge. So contact us today to learn more!!