Maryland Theft charges and punishments vary greatly. Depending on the value of the thing stolen, your potential punishment could be up to 90 days or up to 15 years in prison.
Here is what you need to know.
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Defenses to Maryland Theft Charges.
Beating a theft charge can be challenging. That’s why you need to hire an experienced attorney early in your case. A thorough review of the evidence is critical to mounting any of the below offenses.
No Intent to Steal. Lack of Intent is one of the strongest defenses in theft cases. This arises in two main areas, shoplifting and stolen cars. Sometimes innocent people forget to pay for items and if you can present a strong enough case you can actually beat your shoplifting charge. And, when it comes to cars, many of us have purchased cars online from people we don’t know. If the car was stolen, but you had no idea, lack of internet is probably your strongest defense.
Mistaken Facts. If you or a child of yours is charged with theft it may only be guilt by association. We defend people every month who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just because you are in an area does not mean you are guilty of theft. The assistant state’s attorney must prove you intended to deprive the owner of their property. If they can’t, you must be found not guilty.
Strong Alibi Witness. An alibi is a witness that, if found to be truthful, makes it very hard for the prosecutor to make their case. An alibi witness is someone who puts your at a different place at the exact time the crime was committed. If you have an alibi witness you need an experienced Maryland criminal lawyer to prepare them for trial.
Alibi: Providing evidence that the defendant was not present at the time of the alleged theft.
Punishment for Theft in Maryland.
The punishments for theft in Maryland can be found under Maryland Criminal Law Code § 7-104. The punishments are based on the value of the thing stolen. Here they are:
Theft up to $100 – misdemeanor – up to 90 days in jail and/or a $500 fine
Theft of $100 – $1,500 – misdemeanor – up to 6 months jail and/or a $500 fine
Theft of $1,500 – $25,000 – Felony – up to 5 years prison and/or a $10,000 fine
Theft of $25,000-$100,000- Felony – up to 10 years prison and/or a $15,000 fine
Thef of $100,000 or more – Felony – up to 20 years prison and/or a $25,000 fine
What Can Seddiq Law Do to Help?
A theft charge can destroy employment opportunities for your future or cause serious immigration consequences. If you or a loved one has a theft charge you should fight the case as hard as possible. Some possible things we can do as your lawyer are as follows:
- Trial. Prepare for trial and fight for a not guilty, avoiding any conviction at trial.
- Stet. In Maryland this option puts your case in the inactive docket. Typically you are required to complete some classes and/or community service. If you do, your case will be dismissed. You don’t even have to plead guilty.
- Diversion. With a strong negotiating attorney, we may be able to get you into a diversion program. Theft and shoplifting can happen to anyone. If you take some classes on shoplifting and do community service, we can get your case dismissed in some situations.
- Priobation before Judgment. In Maryland sometimes even when you plead guilty the judge can strike the guilty plea and grant a probation before judgment. If this is done, it is as if you never had the conviction.
Contact Us Today for A Free Consultation.
At Seddiq Law we defend theft cases every month. We promise to work for the best possible result and keeping you informed along the way.
If you fill out this form, one of our attorneys will contact you within 15 minutes to schedule a free consultation. Or, feel free to call 301.513.7832.
