“A disorderly persons shoplifting charge can have serious consequences including fines, probation, jail time, and a permanent record. But it doesn’t have to. Here is a case we handled for a client in Wayne NJ with great success: the charges were completely dismissed.”
Have you been arrested and charged with shoplifting in Wayne? Do you need a lawyer to fight this case for you in Wayne Municipal Court? We can help.
Travis J. Tormey and the Tormey Law Firm LLC recently helped a client beat shoplifting charges in Wayne, New Jersey. The client faced the criminal charges because she had been accused of stealing multiple items, valued at more than $500, from a store in Wayne, NJ. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11(b), shoplifting is a very serious theft offense and is classified as a felony-level offense that carries severe penalties, including years in NJ State Prison and a permanent criminal record. Since the client was charged with a felony, her case was scheduled to be heard in the Passaic County Superior Court, located in Paterson, New Jersey.
The criminal defense team at the Tormey Law Firm knew out important the outcome of this case would be for the client, so we immediately got to work defending her against the charges. One of our skilled attorneys appeared on behalf of the client in Passaic County Superior Court and convinced the assistant county prosecutor to downgrade the charge. With the charge now classified as a disorderly persons offense (misdemeanor), not a felony, the case was remanded to the Wayne Municipal Court.
Our criminal defense attorneys then appeared in Wayne Municipal Court and fought the client’s theft charges. When representatives from the store failed to show up to court to testify, we urged the court to dismiss the charges against the client. The judge initially denied our motion, but he did mark the next court date as “try or dismiss,” meaning that another failure by the store representatives to appear in court would lead to dismissal of the charges. The representatives failed to appear once again, prompting the municipal court judge to dismiss the charges against our client for lack of prosecution. As a result, our client was able to avoid all penalties associated with the theft charge.
Now, she has no criminal record from this incident. However, there is a record of the arrest since she was fingerprinted and processed. However, she is eligible to file for an expungement immediately to have the arrest removed from her record as well.
Attorney Needed Shoplifting Charges Wayne NJ? Call Us
This was an extremely positive outcome for our client and a major success for the Tormey Law Firm.