Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

If you are caught shoplifting at a retail store in Jacksonville, Florida, you may be charged with theft in Duval County Court. If the retail store calls the police, you will either be arrested or issued a notice to appear in court for the charge of Jacksonville theft. The charge that you will be facing depends on the amount that you allegedly shoplifted. If the value of the property is $300.00 or more, it is a felony theft. (See Jacksonville Shoplifting Crimes Range From Misdemeanor to Felony Charges)

Jacksonville shoplifting and theft is not a crime that should be taken lightly. When job searching, employers often disapprove of this crime, and it could affect their hiring decisions. Therefore, it is important to attack this Jacksonville theft case early. You may be able to defend the case due to a lack of evidence or by proving that you were falsely accused. In some Jacksonville theft cases, the Duval County State Attorney Office may consider diverting the criminal case, causing the charges to later be dropped. The last thing that you want to do is be convicted of a Jacksonville theft crime, because this will affect your ability to seal or expunge your Jacksonville criminal record. Therefore, it is important to contact a Jacksonville Theft Attorney.

Under Section 812.014, Florida Statutes, a Jacksonville shoplifting charge can range from a misdemeanor to felony crime. Usually, this level of the crime depends on the value of the goods that were the subject of the theft. Section 812.014 states that if the value of the property is less than $100.00, the petit theft (petty theft) is a second-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 60 days in Duval County Jail. If the property stolen is valued at $100 or more, but less than $300, this is a first-degree misdemeanor. This is punishable by up to one year in Duval County Jail. If the property is valued at $300 or more, but less than $5,000, the offender has committed a third-degree felony which is punishable by up to 5 years in Florida State Prison.

Florida Statute Section 812.014, also provides for enhanced charges if the offender has previous theft convictions. Therefore, it is important to tell your Jacksonville Theft Lawyer about your criminal record.

When I was a child, I remember my dad talking about the oil crisis of the 1970s. He talked about people using a tube to siphon gas from other vehicles. In fact, people would install gas guards in order to prevent this from occurring. Therefore, when I think about some stealing gas in Jacksonville, Florida, I think of gas siphoning or gas and go (driving off without paying for gas). Siphoning gas is theft. If a person were to siphon gas, he or she would only be able to take an amount that would establish grounds for a petit theft. Jacksonville Petit Theft and driving off without paying for gas are both misdemeanors.

With Jacksonville Theft crimes, the higher the dollar amount stolen, the more serious the crime. If the dollar amount $300 or more, the crime is a felony. A felony gas theft occurred this week in Jacksonville, Jacksonville.com reports that 1,300 gallons of gasoline were stolen "from First Coast Shell at Greeland Avenue at Ramona Boulevard in Jacksonville. Station operators called in the theft at 4:05 p.m. Tuesday, reporting that $5,200 worth of gas was taken sometime after 10 p.m. the night before." If the perpetrator is caught, he will certainly be facing a Jacksonville Felony Theft Charge.

Many defendants charged with Jacksonville Petit Theft enter a plea of guilty or no contest to the offense without regard to the consequences such plea may have on the status of their Florida driver's license. A plea to a Jacksonville theft crime may result in Florida driver's license suspension ranging from 6 months for a first theft conviction to 12 months for a second or subsequent conviction.

Florida Statute Section 812.0155 gives the court the authority to order a Florida Driver's License suspension for anyone convicted of a theft crime. Additionally, this law mandates that the court order the suspension of a Florida Driver's License for anyone that has more than one conviction of theft.

If you are charged with a Theft Crime in Jacksonville, contact a Jacksonville Theft Attorney to discuss all aspect of your case.