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Our experienced shoplifting lawyer team is here for you. We can advise you of your legal rights and advocate for you every step of the way.
Shoplifting is a crime involving the deprivation of personal property belonging to someone else without compensating for it. A recent national study captures how nearly 20% of Australians engage in dishonest behaviour when using self-checkouts at supermarkets.
If you currently find yourself caught up in the New South Wales (NSW) legal system, facing shoplifting charges, you must prepare to put up a strong defence.
Sadly, it is not uncommon for police to arrest individuals or for prosecutors to charge defendants with crimes they didn’t commit. There are various reasons this may occur, including mistaken identity and miscommunication.
While these parties may ultimately drop charges against a defendant based on information reviewed during their initial evaluation of evidence, you may have to wait until court proceedings commence to present your own narrative that proves your innocence. Doing this is not always easy. It can be helpful to have a lawyer from our criminal defence law firm walk you through this process. Call us for an initial consultation.
Our team of shop lifting lawyers will select the finest shoplifting lawyer for your case. Your shoplifting defence lawyer will work diligently to compile evidence disproving the shoplifting allegations you face and present it to prosecutors or the Court in requesting the case’s closure before any further legal proceedings commence.
The shoplifting lawyers on our legal team is more than capable of taking your case to local or district Court and defending you in a courtroom if necessary. Our shoplifting lawyers’ goal is to do whatever it takes to defend you to preserve your maximum rights.
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Trusted criminal defence services across Sydney, from the CBD to Liverpool, we provide professional legal support when you need it most.
New South Wales law, Section 117 of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), classifies shoplifting as a type of larceny. Like a similar criminal offence, the onus falls on the shoulders of prosecutors to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt. To do so, prosecutors must establish the following elements:
Provided the prosecution can prove these elements, a judge or jury may find a defendant guilty of such dishonesty charges, resulting in incarceration, fines, or both.
Since the responsibility falls on the shoulders of prosecutors to prove that you committed a crime, our Australian legal justice system affords you the right to present your side of what happened too. Some common defences defendants facing larceny charges for shoplifting utilise in NSW include claiming that:
There is even a claim of right defence that some accused shoplifters use. Defendants most often use this when they have some legal entitlement to the alleged stolen property.
The penalties associated with shoplifting charges vary, depending on the value of the stolen goods and the case’s jurisdiction.
Matters are much different depending on the value of the alleged stolen goods. Schedule 1 of The Criminal Procedure Act of 1986 describes how criminal cases that involve stolen property valued at $5,000 or less handled in a local Court should carry a maximum sentence of 12 months of incarceration. That prison term increases to a maximum penalty of two years if a defendant pleads guilty or is found culpable of depriving someone else of items over $5,000.
Know that there are alternatives that exist, even if a magistrate or jury initially convicts you of shoplifting charges, that may allow you to avoid a criminal record, including a:
Additionally, you may be able to request that prosecutors drop your charges if you suffer from a mental health condition by applying for a Section 14 mental health order. Doing this may result in your case’s dismissal.
While we cannot make promises about your case’s outcome, you can rest assured knowing that we give each case our all. We aggressively fight for our shoplifting clients and will do the same for you.
Ensure the best possible outcome in your case by reaching out to us to schedule a free, no-risk consultation today.
Our criminal lawyers in Sydney don’t just handle local Magistrates Court cases but also ones that come before the Australian District Court in NSW on up through Australian Supreme Court.
We maintain a manageable case load so that we can give each client the individualised attention their case deserves. This effort we invest in representing clients shows in the results we achieve for them when prospects are initially dismal.
It can feel a bit awkward to entrust your rights and future to someone else when you face criminal charges. You can count on us to file a bail application if you’re in jail. The benefits associated with the bail granted are to restore your freedom and allow us to speak more freely about the best defence strategies in your case.
For a woman, it is very difficult to deal with harassment, stalking and intimidation. Last year, I have applied for APVO against my neighbour.
Although I had CCTV footages and other evidence, to actually go through the whole court process is stressful, especially because I decided to represent myself in the court. Once I stepped into the legal process the realization hit me that having evidence may not be enough to win and protect myself from the defendant. When you represent yourself, the defendant’s solicitor sees that as an easy winning for his client and uses intimidation tactics.
I have contacted several solicitors but was put off by their emotionlessness approach. I contacted Jonathan Jaramillo from James and Jaramillo Lawyers who offered free first consultation. Comprehensive information offered by Jonathan was very impressive. He listened attentively and took time to answer my questions. He did not tell me what I wanted to hear, but what I needed to hear. I decided to represent myself and asked Jonathan if he would guide me and advise me throughout the process. This would be more cost-effective for me. Regardless of the size of the case, Jonathan was from the beginning to the end extremely professional, prompt and kind. He explained everything clearly making me feel confident with the legal process.
I have managed to get Interim Order in the early stage of the process-mention, which was protecting me till the final hearing in March 2024 when I won the case. This outcome could not have been achieved without working with Jonathan and his professional guidance. I can’t speak highly enough about Jonathan Jaramillo and recommend him for anyone who is looking for a good, responsive and reliable solicitor, and a genuine person.
There are many law firms with defence lawyers claiming to be the ideal shoplifting lawyer who can represent you in your case; however, few of them have the following as their core values:
You can count on each shoplifting lawyer at our firm to put up a solid defence that aims to minimise the impact your case has on your life every time.
We won’t leave any stone unturned in investigating or defending your rights. We will give your case our all as our team knows that is what it takes to achieve the best possible outcome in shoplifting cases like yours.
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