Well Known Theft Lawyers in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Petty Theft vs. Grand Theft

Generally, the value of the property determines the difference between petty and grand theft. If the property is worth less than $1,000, the offense is a misdemeanor (petty theft). An amount greater than that is a felony (grand theft). The maximum penalty for grand theft is twenty years in prison. Depending on your case facts, a Minneapolis Theft Lawyer may be able to help minimize such severe sentences.
In other cases, the item makes a difference. The offense is grand theft, regardless of value, if the item at issue was a:

• Motor vehicle,
• Firearm,
• Trade secret,
• Controlled substance, or
• Explosive device.

As mentioned, theft is the taking of another person’s property, normally with the intent to deprive the owner of the property’s full use. All these areas are subject to challenge.

The taking element is normally straightforward, although a lack of admissible evidence might be an issue. Normally, the owner must appear in court and give credible testimony. Given the enormous time gap between the theft date and the trial date, prosecutors often have a hard time securing such testimony. Intent to permanently deprive is difficult to prove in many cases, especially retail theft matters.

Retail Theft Defense

Contrary to the popular myth, authorities can detain retail theft suspects in the store itself. However, if authorities jump the gun, these defendants can claim they intended to pay for the item. Additionally, the listed “owner” is usually a store security officer. By the time the trial date rolls around, this person is often long gone.

Because of these inherent weaknesses, a Minneapolis Theft Attorney has a number of resolution options. Frequently, defendants are eligible for pretrial diversion. If the defendant makes restitution and completes some other program requirements, prosecutors dismiss the charges.
Some retail theft cases are grab-and-run cases. Others are complex scams. Intentional under-ringing is a good example. A shopper brings a high-value item and a low-value item to the register. The cashier only scans the low-value item. Later, the two split the booty.

Possession of Stolen Property

Purchasing or retaining property that the defendant knew was stolen constitutes theft. Circumstantial evidence is admissible to establish the necessary state of mind.

Assume Carlo collects baseball memorabilia. Someone offers to sell Carlo Hank Aaron’s record-setting home run ball for a very low price. Carlo does not actually know the ball was stolen.

The circumstantial evidence against Carlo might hold up in court. Due to the very low price and rather odd circumstances, prosecutors can argue that Carlo knew the ball was stolen. In response, a Minneapolis Theft Lawyer can guide Carlo to argue that he thought the ball was a fake.

Intangible Theft Defense

Online theft, or intangible theft, usually involves the theft of information. Some examples include:

• Trade secrets
• Credit card information,
• Identity, and
• Personal information.

In addition to grand theft charges, these individuals could face other charges as well. Frequently, these offenses involve fraud or deception.
Generally, intangible theft charges involve lengthy investigations. Since law enforcement agencies invest considerable resources in these investigations, officers often take illegal shortcuts to make an arrest.

These shortcuts sometimes involve search warrant issues and other procedural defenses.

It is important to remember that theft charges are different from robbery charges. When theft is involved, working with a Minneapolis Theft Attorney may be more beneficial compared to working with a Robbery Defense Lawyer in Minneapolis.