Its not unusual that our criminal defense lawyers get your Tulsa shoplifting charge dismissed or reduced but there are things that must be done. Petit larceny in Oklahoma refers to all larceny that is not grand larceny. Shoplifting is charged as grand or petit larceny depending on the stolen merchandise value. The rub on how its charged is often times in what the prosecutor claims as the value of the merchandise.
Negotiating For a Dismissal or Reduced Charge
Witnesses often disappear and evidence gets lost as criminal cases progress. It is possible for new evidence to emerge as well that may weaken the prosecutor’s case against you. This causes the prosecutor to lose confidence in their case. It’s up to a skilled attorney to convince the prosecutor when this happens to dismiss the lawsuit because of a sheer lack of evidence.
Shoplifting Lawyers Fighting For You
Our criminal defense attorneys will seize the opportunity to reduce the more serious charges to less serious ones through a plea bargain if they cannot get the charges completely dismissed. Plea bargains are legally binding agreements between the state prosecutor and defendant. When it comes to this, the defendant agrees to forego the trial and plead guilty or no-contest in exchange for a more desirable sentence.
Defendants don’t have a statutory or constitutional right to a plea bargain. The Municipal judge may also decide to reject the plea bargain at their discretion. In some cases, plea bargains are not allowed at all. However, if a plea bargain is allowed, our attorney and the prosecutor will negotiate and agree on terms that are acceptable to all concerned parties, including the judge. In Tulsa, most criminal cases are settled through plea agreements or dismissal thereby not going to trial.
Plea Bargains With No Prior Criminal Record
Prosecutors are known to charge defendants severely. This leaves room for the criminal defense attorney to argue for the charges to be reduced. If you’ve got a clean criminal history it makes arguing for a reduced sentence must easier. On the other hand, prior charges that are old may not impact the current charge at all. In shoplifting cases there’s s lots of room for negotiation or to get the case dismissed. The moral of the story is that prior crimes together with the facts in your current case can be dealt with but in some instances will impact the outcome of this case.
Suspended or Deferred Sentence Explained
You can avoid getting convicted by pleading to a deferred sentence. A deferred sentence allows the District Court Judge to withhold your sentencing until after probation is done. If you complete probation with no violations the court will dismiss and expunge the case. This is usually reserved for people with limited criminal history that agree to performing certain tasks or attending programs. You may avoid jail time and conviction in a deferred sentence.
You may also except a suspended sentence. A suspended sentence is a plea of guilty. It may also involve probation depending on the facts of your case. In suspended sentencing the sentence is either served in or out of jail. If the period is out of jail and you violate the probation the prosecutor may ask that your case be revoked and ask that the remainder of the suspended sentence be served in custody. The important thing to keep in mind about suspended sentencing is that this is a conviction. It will show up on your record as a conviction and is more difficult to expunge and seal the criminal record.
Tulsa Shoplifting Lawyers Near You
Its not unusual that our Tulsa criminal lawyers can get your shoplifting charge dismissed or reduced. Tulsa Shoplifting convictions leave you at risk of possible incarceration. There can also be multiple financial penalties associated with a conviction. In addition, you will have to face the problems that come with having a criminal record. Such losses can have devastating effects on your life. You should work with a dedicated criminal defense attorney in Oklahoma to protect your best
interests. The Tulsa Criminal Lawyers Law Office is here to help you understand your options and fight for your rights. Get in touch with us today by calling at 918-416-0358 or using our online form