Ways to Have a Shoplifting Case Dismissed in New Jersey
“One of the potential ways to beat a shoplifting charge in New Jersey is to take the case to trial and convince the Judge that you were not shoplifting and there was no intent to steal. The State must prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Part 1.
“Challenging The Circumstances”
Click Here to see the next method, and be sure to view our series on Top 5 Ways To Beat Any Criminal Charge.
Shoplifting
When you are charged with shoplifting in New Jersey, there are a number of ways that you can successfully combat these charges. The first of the potential ways to beat a shoplifting case in New Jersey involves challenging the circumstances of your arrest. In order for you to be convicted of shoplifting in New Jersey, it must be shown that you had “intent” to steal the objects that you possessed. This is known as the “mens rea” or criminal intent. Intent is an extremely important component of many criminal cases, as it involves the desired outcome of the defendant as he or she commits an act. In order for the shoplifting charge to hold up in court, the prosecutor has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed an act of shoplifting with the intention of depriving the merchandise of the item without paying for it, or without paying the full value.
Shoplifting Defenses in New Jersey – “I didn’t do it”
For example, if you “accidentally” walked out the door without paying for something, your intention was not necessarily to steal it. Obviously, the circumstances in your case play a huge role. If you paid for a shopping cart full of items but neglected one single item in your pocket, you are obviously going to have a much better case than if you grabbed a pile of DVDs and walked out the door. At The Tormey Law Firm, our NJ shoplifting defense attorneys will thoroughly examine the circumstances of your case, including police reports, surveillance video, witness statements, and everything including in the discovery report in order to identify any potential weaknesses in the State’s case. We then build a strategy to exploit these weakness in court and work to have the charges downgraded or dismissed altogether.
More Ways to Fight New Jersey Shoplifting Charges
To continue on with our series and learn more about defense strategies that we use to fight shoplifting charges in New Jersey, view the following videos:
- How To Beat Shoplifting Charges Part 2
- How To Beat Shoplifting Charges Part 3
- How To Beat Shoplifting Charges Part 4
You can also contact us anytime at (201)-556-1570 to receive a free consultation about your New Jersey shoplifting case. From our convenient office locations in Bergen County, Morris County, Essex County, and Camden County, we assist clients across New Jersey in successfully resolving their shoplifting matters. We regularly appear in courts in Hackensack, Paramus, Rockaway, Paterson, Jersey City, and Morristown, to name a few.
