Shoplifting Lawyer Dearborn Heights

Do You Need a Top Rated Attorney for Your Dearborn Heights Michigan Shoplifting Charge?

If you have a court date at the 20th District Court for your Dearborn Heights Michigan misdemeanor or felony retail fraud allegation, you need an exceptional and zealous criminal defense lawyer who will fight on your behalf.   No matter if your accusation is from  a large retailer (such as Target, Home Depot, or Walgreens), or a locally based Dearborn Heights business we can properly defend you. Get exceptional defense lawyer Daniel Hilf to handle your shoplifting accusation for immediate action and aggressive steps taken toward achieving the best results given the facts and circumstances. Leading shoplifting criminal defense specialist Daniel Hilf appears before the Judges at the 20th District Court (25637 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn Heights 48125), and throughout the metro-Detroit area on a regular basis, aggressively defending all shoplifting related charges.  

Having to go before a Judge to address a shoplifting accusation may seem both depressing and overwhelming, however it is important to remember that this charge does not make you a bad person.  In fact, shoplifting is prosecuted by the Dearborn Heights City Attorney and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office daily, but it is often based upon a single allegation due to a temporary lapse in normally good judgment.  However, just because these charges are heard frequently at the 20th District Court and other Michigan courthouses, it does not mean that there are not serious long term repercussions or that it will not affect your future in an extremely negative way.  Any shoplifting conviction can significantly alter the course of your future, because a sentence from this conviction may include any or all of the following outcomes: the loss of your freedom (incarceration); probation with strict supervisory conditions; loss of employment; professional licensing issues (for lawyers, accountants, stock brokers, nurses and other positions that require either State or Federal licensing); loss of educational opportunities; steep fines and costs; immigration complications (for persons that are not United States citizens); and personal embarrassment.  Beyond a shadow of a doubt - you need the best shoplifting defense lawyer that you can hire, who is one hundred percent on your side and working hard to obtain your best result.

Shoplifting can theoretically be committed in several different ways, including: when store merchandise is stolen or an attempt to steal store merchandise is made by a person; when the price tag of the merchandise is intentionally changed to a lower price to defraud the store; or when merchandise is fraudulently exchanged in order to obtain money or other store merchandise.  Criminal shoplifting cases that are prosecuted at the 20th District Court in Dearborn Heights and other Wayne County courtrooms include the following:

First Degree Retail Fraud is a felony charge that carries up to a 5 year maximum prison sentence that is prosecuted when the merchandise involved is $1,000 (one thousand dollars) or more, or if the merchandise involved is $200 (two hundred dollars) or more and the person has a prior theft conviction [however, incarceration can be avoided at the discretion of the Court because there is no mandatory minimum sentence].

Organized Retail Theft is felony charge that carries up to a 5 year maximum prison sentence that is also subject to applicable habitual offender sentencing provisions [however, incarceration can be avoided at the discretion of the Court because there is no mandatory minimum sentence]. The allegation of Organized Retail Theft is prosecuted in Dearborn Heights and other area courtrooms when the prosecution believes it has probable cause that the intent of the accused is to commit retail theft from one or more stores and then resell the stolen merchandise to other persons or businesses.

Second Degree Retail Fraud is a misdemeanor charge that carries up to a 1 year maximum county jail sentence that is prosecuted when the merchandise involved is at least $200 (two hundred dollars) but less than $1000 (one thousand dollars), or if the merchandise involved is under $200 (two hundred dollars) and the person has a prior theft conviction [however, incarceration can be avoided at the discretion of the Court because there is no mandatory minimum sentence].

Third Degree Retail Fraud is a misdemeanor charge that carries up to a 93 day maximum county jail sentence that is prosecuted under either State law or local ordinance, when the merchandise involved in the offense is less than $200 (two hundred dollars) [however, incarceration can be avoided at the discretion of the Court because there is no mandatory minimum sentence].

Removal of a Theft Detection Device is a misdemeanor charges that carries up to a 1 year maximum county jail sentence that is prosecuted under State law [however, incarceration can be avoided at the discretion of the Court because there is no mandatory minimum sentence].

Searching for an Experienced Shoplifting Criminal Defense Lawyer near Dearborn Heights to Represent You?

Many stores in Dearborn Heights and across America have well designed loss prevention practices with the goal of reducing overall shoplifting losses, avoiding contested litigation, and deterring others from committing store theft.  A well staffed team of loss protection workers using advanced surveillance equipment (such as merchandise sensors, high resolution video cameras, and closed circuit television) are commonly found within large retail stores for the purpose of combating the liabilities and costs associated with retail theft.  Even with great technology and great employee training, mistakes are still made and persons are still sometimes falsely arrested due to errors in judgment (such as false identification and wrongfully interpreting a situation), cultural related issues, and procedural errors.

If you hire attorney Daniel Hilf to defend your Dearborn Heights retail fraud accusation he will obtain all the available discovery materials to fully and properly defend you, which can include the following: police report(s), loss prevention report(s), witness statement(s), in store video(s), police video(s), photograph(s), statement(s) the police and/or loss prevention claims that you made.  Attorney Daniel Hilf will provide you with solid and well reasoned advice concerning whether to conduct a trial in front of a Judge or jury, or whether to choose to accept a plea or plea bargain and try and persuade the Judge to sentence you reasonably and leniently. However, it is ultimately your choice to demand a trial or to seek a resolution of your case short of trial through a plea, plea bargain, and/or sentence agreement (provided that a plea bargain and/or sentence agreement is available). 

You should not delay in your decision to hire a experienced, zealous legal representative to help you for your Dearborn Heights case.  As stated previously, a shoplifting conviction will likely cause you many difficulties in life that are in addition to the strict criminal penalties, including making it extremely challenging to find a well paying job or a highly desired career, because many companies do not want to risk hiring someone convicted of stealing.  Hire a respected defense attorney for your Dearborn Heights based shoplifting allegation  - attorney Daniel Hilf - to help you, because his strong legal acumen and his over twenty years of experience inside and outside of Michigan courtrooms is exactly the type of legal representation that you need to confront a shoplifting charge.

If you have to appear before a Judge or magistrate due to a Dearborn Heights shoplifting arrest or ticket, now is the right time to make an impactful decision concerning your legal representation. Contact Hilf & Hilf, PLC ASAP to schedule a confidential office appointment to obtain the high quality legal defense that you need.