Richmond Shoplifting Lawyer Can Protect Your Future
Shoplifting is often regarded as a petty crime – but nothing could be further from the truth. Richmond shoplifting charges can bring hefty penalties, including felony charges, prison time, and thousands of dollars in legal fees. If you’re facing shoplifting charges, you need an experienced trial attorney working to build a strong defense.
Why Choose Cody Villalon as Your Richmond Shoplifting Lawyer
A Leader in Richmond Criminal Defense for Over a Decade
Criminal defense attorney Cody Villalon has spent the past decade successfully defending clients accused of crimes in Virginia. His compassion and dedication to justice are unparalleled, and his track record shows that he knows how to make the justice system work in favor of his clients.
Cody Villalon understands that criminal charges bring a whirlwind of emotions for clients and their loved ones. The threat of felony charges and prison time naturally stirs up feelings of fear, anxiety, and confusion. Cody brings a strong sense of compassion to every case, working to alleviate his clients’ fears and outlining a successful strategy for reducing legal consequences as much as possible.
Cody has clocked over 5,000 hours in Virginia courts serving as a trusted defense attorney in over 1,000 cases. His client testimonials show that he excels as a Richmond shoplifting lawyer, exceeds clients’ expectations, and leaves an overwhelmingly positive impression on the clients whose futures he has helped restore.
How an Experienced Shoplifting Defense Lawyer Can Help
Virginia law takes a strict stance when it comes to punishing individuals convicted of shoplifting. You need to involve an experienced Richmond shoplifting attorney from the start of your case. The longer you go without legal representation, the greater the chance of accidentally making incriminating statements.
Once shoplifting defense Attorney Cody Villalon reviews your case, there are a few different ways in which he can help. His first goal will be to try to get the charges dropped entirely. If a preponderance of evidence makes that impossible, the objective will move toward reducing the penalties as much as possible. That means fighting to have felonies dropped to misdemeanors and arguing for as lenient a sentence as possible.
Cody’s approach to handling a Richmond shoplifting defense case includes:
- Listening to your side of the story
- Asking detailed questions about the circumstances that led up to your arrest
- Reviewing security footage, police reports, and any other evidence
- Investigating whether police procedure was properly followed
- Communicating with the court and completing legal paperwork on your behalf
- Communicating with you regarding hearing dates and the status of your case
- Working to have your charges dropped or reduced as much as possible
- Arguing for the most lenient sentencing available.
Every shoplifting case is unique. Factors like the circumstances of your arrest, the amount of evidence that exists, and prior criminal charges on record all have a direct bearing on your court outcome.
Cody Villalon doesn’t rest until he has achieved the best outcome available for you – and throughout the entire stressful legal process, he’s a compassionate guiding force on your side, helping alleviate fears and steer you toward a positive outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions for Our Richmond Shoplifting Attorney
If you’re hoping to help a loved one who is currently incarcerated on shoplifting charges, you can call Cody Villalon’s office. Cody can work with you to complete a case review and get started on your case. The longer your loved one sits in jail without legal representation, the greater the chance they may say or do something that can harm their outcome. Your best option is to get a shoplifting defense attorney on the case as quickly as possible.
Yes, it’s possible to get shoplifting charges dropped. In Virginia, shoplifting isn’t limited to the act of theft. Shoplifting has a broad definition, including simply concealing merchandise or altering price tags.
The more quickly you involve a Richmond shoplifting defense attorney, the better your chances are of getting shoplifting charges dropped entirely. If you make the mistake of admitting guilt or making other incriminating statements, it may no longer be possible to get charges dropped, even when evidence to convict you is lacking.
Your legal outcome depends heavily on the circumstances of the incident, the value of the item, and the skill of your shoplifting defense lawyer. An experienced Richmond lawyer may be able to achieve an outcome like community service instead of jail time.
You should never attempt to represent yourself when you’re facing criminal charges. Without legal training and experience fighting shoplifting charges, you can’t know what your best legal option is. A lawyer could potentially have your charges overturned entirely. Even if that’s not possible in your situation, a lawyer will nearly always help improve your outcome.
You should only accept a plea bargain at your lawyer’s recommendation once all other options have been exhausted.
If your teenager has been charged with shoplifting, they can face lifelong consequences. Depending on the value of the shoplifted item and any prior charges on your teen’s juvenile record, juvenile detention and probation are both possibilities.
More seriously, a teenager’s momentary lapse in judgment can seriously alter the course of their future. Shoplifting charges can impact a teen’s ability to get into college, secure many different types of jobs, and even impact their ability to rent an apartment. You should work with a shoplifting defense lawyer to try to get your teen’s charges dropped from their record to avoid the serious lasting consequences of a juvenile shoplifting charge.
Shoplifting defense lawyers charge different amounts. A lawyer’s overall price will depend heavily on their level of experience and success rate. A lawyer with a long practice history and a high rate of successful cases will likely charge more than a less successful or experienced attorney.
Choosing to pay for the lawyer most likely to improve your outcome is an investment in your future and can save you thousands in legal fees, not to mention helping you avoid significant jail time and lasting criminal charges on your record that have a lifelong impact in areas like employment opportunities.
What Counts as Shoplifting in Richmond?
You Could Be Charged with Shoplifting Even if Nothing Was Stolen
You can be charged with shoplifting in Richmond even if you haven’t stolen anything. Shoplifting includes taking something from a store, but it also applies to concealing items with the alleged intent of removing them from the store.
This means that all that’s needed to be charged with shoplifting is for a store employee or security guard to feel that how a customer handles or carries merchandise implies an intention to steal the product in question.
Altering price tags and concealing one item within another are other actions that can legally be considered acts of shoplifting.
Shoplifting Penalties in Richmond, Virginia
Some Shoplifting Charges Can Lead to 20 Years in Prison
Shoplifting in Richmond can range from a simple misdemeanor to a felony. The two most significant factors in the type of shoplifting charge you can face have to do with the monetary value of the items and any prior shoplifting charges you have on record.
When the accused has no criminal charges on record, shoplifting is considered to be a first offense. For a first-offense shoplifting charge, the most lenient charge is that of petit larceny for items valued at less than $1,000 and grand larceny for items valued at over $1,000.
A first-offense petit larceny charge can bring up to a year of jail time, while a first-offense grand larceny charge can bring possible prison sentencing of up to 20 years. Both charges are accompanied by a fine of up to $2,500, an order of restitution, and lasting criminal charges on record.
When misdemeanor shoplifting is a second offense, the same legal consequences apply. However, with a second offense, jail time is less likely to be waived or reduced. Consulting a Richmond misdemeanor charge lawyer can provide clarity on this, especially since with a first offense on record, it’s far more likely for an individual to be sentenced to a longer jail period.
With a third offense misdemeanor, an individual begins facing even more serious legal consequences. Two or more prior convictions for petit theft, larceny, or embezzlement automatically turn a misdemeanor shoplifting charge into a felony. Consulting a Richmond theft defense lawyer in such scenarios can be crucial. If the shoplifted item had a value of less than $1,000, sentencing time could reach up to five years. For an item valued at over $1,000, it’s possible to face a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Fighting Back Against Richmond Shoplifting Charges
Shoplifting defense lawyer Cody Villalon uses a variety of strategies to help clients avoid the consequences of a Richmond shoplifting charge.
When you begin working with Cody Villalon, he’ll explore options such as:
- Building an argument for lack of evidence
- Arguing for lack of probable cause
- Arguing that a search of your person was illegal and violated your rights
- Arguing that you had no intention of stealing the item in question
- Investigating whether any part of your arrest violated procedure
- Fighting to have more serious offenses reduced
- Fighting for the minimum sentencing time.
Shoplifting in Richmond brings serious consequences. Even a first-offense misdemeanor brings the potential for significant jail time and leaves a lasting mark on your criminal record, which can forever limit employment and other opportunities. If faced with such charges, consulting a violent offense charge lawyer becomes crucial to defend your rights. When shoplifting involves prior offenses or an item with a higher value, a shoplifting conviction can significantly alter the course of your future.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a shoplifting charge isn’t a big deal. If you or a loved one have been charged with shoplifting in Richmond, you need to immediately begin working with a shoplifting defense attorney to reduce or drop the charges.
Shoplifting Charges? Call Cody Villalon Today.
Facing criminal charges is a frightening experience, but it doesn’t have to end badly. Success depends on choosing the right Richmond shoplifting defense attorney. Cody Villalon has the expertise and track record to fight back against Richmond shoplifting charges.
The sooner Cody can begin working on your case, the greater his ability to protect you from unintentional mistakes, incriminating statements, and further legal trouble. If you or a loved one have shoplifting charges looming over you, don’t wait – call Cody Villalon today.
Client Testimonial
”Probably the best lawyer in Chesterfield and Henrico! He will go the extra mile with every aspect of any criminal case! Always answers or returns calls same business day! I’ll never hire anybody else for my cases. He really shines in a courtroom and you can feel his presence, judges know him on a first name basis too. Thanks, Cody!” – Sean Truslow (Google Review)
DEFENSE ATTORNEY CODY VILLALON
Cody Villalon is a criminal defense attorney in Richmond, VA representing clients accused of violent offenses and DUIs, and he specializes in serious criminal charges. He possesses more than 10 years of legal experience, has defended more than 1,000 cases, and has spent more than 5,000 hours in court. He is highly professional and well-respected by prosecutors and judges. [ Attorney Bio ]
