Fort Lauderdale Retail Theft/Shoplifting

Shoplifting is charged as either petit or grand theft under Florida Statute 812.014  depending on the value of the items allegedly stolen. If the value of the alleged stolen merchandise is less than $100 in value, the defendant is charged with petit theft in the second degree, a second degree misdemeanor. If the value of the merchandise is between $100 and $300, the defendant is charged with petit theft in the first degree, a first degree misdemeanor . If the alleged amount is greater than $300 but less than $5,000, then the appropriate charge is grand theft in the third degree, a third degree felony.

Even if you wish to plead guilty to a Fort Lauderdale shoplifting charge, do not talk to the police or any investigators until you have spoken with a Florida shoplifting defense lawyer. If you admit to entering the store with the intention to steal, the crime automatically becomes a felony charge, regardless of the value of the merchandise taken.

Florida Consequences for Shoplifting

The maximum punishment for each offense, if convicted, is show below:

Petit Theft in the Second Degree (less than $100) – punishable by a maximum of 60 days in jail.

Petit Theft in the First Degree (Less than $300 but more than $100) – punishable by a maximum of 364 days in the county jail.

Third Degree Grand Theft: Items worth between $300-$19,999. This is a third degree felony, and if you are convicted, you can face up to 5 years in jail and/or a fine up to $5,000.

Second Degree Grand Theft: Items worth between $19,000-$99,999. This is a second degree felony, and if you are convicted, you can face up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000.

First Degree Grand Theft: Items worth more than $100,000. This is a first degree felony, and if you are convicted, you can face up to 30 years in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000

Accomplished and Experienced Shoplifting Attorneys

Challenging Florida shoplifting and petit theft charges can be complex, particularly because these cases often involve hard evidence that places the offender at the scene, such as video surveillance. There may also be witnesses, including store employees or security personnel who will testify that an item was stolen. Finally, the item itself may be used as evidence against you if it was found on your person or in your vehicle, etc.

Whether there was an actual intent to steal the item, whether the accused had actually left the store or facility, whether an item was accidentally placed in a bag or purse by a young child, whether the value of the item is provable, whether the stop and search of an accused is racially or ethnically based, are but a few of the defenses and evaluations which need to be considered. Whether you are a juvenile or adult in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach or Monroe County, Leader & Leader have a team of dedicated Florida shoplifting defense lawyers to handle cases related to charges of shoplifting and theft.

Fortunately, an experienced shoplifting defense attorney can challenge all of the evidence against you, even if it seems as though you have no chance of avoiding a conviction. Witness testimony can be brought into question, as can the manner in which an arrest or search was conducted, or how evidence was processed by law enforcement. That’s why you hire the criminal defense attorneys at Leader & Leader – for our experience in similar situations, our knowledge of Florida laws, and the facts that we have defended hundreds of Florida shoplifting cases successfully.