Shoplifting Charge in Freehold Township New Jersey

Arrested for Shoplifting in Freehold Township New Jersey?

There are many individuals who are arrested or charged with shoplifting in Freehold every year. The town is consistently at the top of the Monmouth County rankings of municipalities with the highest number of retail theft cases filed. There is good reason for the extreme amount of shoplifting in the town as it is the home to Freehold Raceway Mall with anchor stores like JCPenney, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Nordstrom and Sears. There is also a Walmart Superstore located within the town. If you are facing a shoplifting charge in Freehold arising at these or another store, our firm is well positioned to serve as your defense lawyer. We are the largest criminal practice in the county, have several former prosecutors on staff, and have an office only a few blocks from both the Freehold Municipal Court and the Superior Court. Our Freehold Shoplifting Attorneys are prepared to put their 100 plus years of combined experienced to work for you. Call our Freehold Office any time 24/7 for a free consultation at 732-462-1197.

Arrested for Shoplifting In Violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11

The NJ Shoplifting Law is contained at N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11 and results in significant negative consequences when violated. First, you will have a criminal record which can prevent you from obtaining employment, maintaining your immigration status, or securing a professional license. Second, being found guilty under 2C:20-11 in Freehold Municipal Court or at the county courthouse (e.g. fourth degree, third degree or second degree variety) will have financial ramifications. You will have to pay a civil penalty to the store or face accountability for attorneys fees and collection costs incurred by the retailer in collecting the fee. There is also a fine payable under this law that can reach $1,000 for a disorderly persons offense, $10,000 for a fourth degree, $15,000 for a third degree and $150,000 for a third degree crime. The third thing that happens if you are convicted of a Freehold shoplifting is that you may be incarcerated. The maximum period is 6 months (disorderly persons offense, 18 months (4th degree), 5 years (3rd degree) and 10 years (2nd degree). Fourth, there is an obligation to perform community service of at least 10 days for a first offense, 15 days for a second offense, and 25 days for a third offense. Our attorneys are successful in a high percentage of theft cases in avoiding these penalties and even averting a conviction altogether.

What Does the Prosecutor Need to Prove In Order to Convict You of Shoplifting in Freehold?

Map of Freehold Township where our attorneys defend clients charged with shoplifting. N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11 outlines six scenarios in which shoplifting is committed. If the prosecutor can establish, beyond reasonable doubt, that someone engaged in this conduct with the intention of deprive the merchant of the value of the item(s), they will be found guilty of shoplifting in Freehold Municipal Court (i.e. if the charge is for a disorderly persons offense) or at the Monmouth County Superior Court (i.e. if the offense is a second, third or fourth degree crime). The conduct prohibited in this manner is set forth under 2C:20-11(b) and includes purposely:

Taking or carrying away merchandise from a store;
Concealing merchandise;
Altering or modifying a price tag or other indicia of value for merchandise;
Transferring or changing the container of merchandise;
Under-ringing the value of merchandise; or
Removing a shopping cart from the property of the merchant.

In determining whether a Freehold shoplifting offense has occurred in violation of 2C:20-11, there of wrongdoing whenever someone purposely conceals unpurchased merchandise in or outside the retail premises.

Special Considerations for Freehold Shoplifting Defendants Who Are Not Citizens of the United States. If you are facing a shoplifting charge in Freehold and hold a H1B Visa, H4 Visa, Green Card (i.e. Permanent Resident) or otherwise lack citizenship, you need to especially careful in selecting a lawyer. The reason for this statement stems from the fact that a conviction for shoplifting can result in revocation of your Visa or Green Card and deportation from the United States.

Juveniles Charged With Shoplifting in Freehold. All shoplifting offenses involving juveniles are directed to the Family Division of the Monmouth County Superior Court. This is where your son or daughters case will be handled if they are under 18 years of age.

Freehold NJ Shoplifting Lawyers

As a firm that has been a mainstay of the Monmouth County defense bar for over twenty years, our Freehold NJ Shoplifting Lawyers have handled innumerable retail theft cases arising at Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Sears and other stores in the Freehold Raceway Mall. We have also defended many offenses stemming from an arrest at smaller stores along Business Route 33, U.S. Route 9 and downtown Freehold. It takes both effort and experience to achieve favorable outcomes, especially in shoplifting matters as there are restrictions on plea bargaining. Criminal defense skills are crucial to success and, as you can see, we are quite formidable in this regard. Call our Freehold Criminal Firm at 732-462-1197 for immediate assistance.