Factors of Chester County Theft Penalties

Once someone has been convicted of a theft charge, a variety of factors influence penalties for theft in Chester County. The biggest factor is whether or not someone has an attorney to advocate for their rights. If you or a loved one is facing theft charges, retain an experienced defense attorney immediately to increase your chances of an acquittal or to mitigate potential penalties.

Prior Convictions

A theft charge is known as a crime of crimen falsi, a crime of falsehood, which can impact a person’s reputation indefinitely. Prior convictions can be a deciding factor in Chester County theft penalties. An individual charged with theft who has criminal charges in his or her background will often have the most recent theft charge treated in a much more aggressive manner.

This means that a prior offender with a theft charge will not be treated as a first time offender by the courts. In determining sentences after a person is convicted, sentencing guidelines often come into play when trying to determine what penalties to impose for a particular theft case. The consequences of having a prior conviction can often can impact a case significantly. Should a case go to trial, an individual with a prior record could be prevented from testifying or at least testifying in a manner that’s consistent with a person with no prior record.

A person might create extreme prejudice when testifying in his or her own defense in court by the judge and/or jury if he or she has a prior record. An experienced Chester County theft criminal defense attorney is the best way to prevent that from occurring.

Reduced Sentencing

When an individual is charged with theft, having an experienced theft attorney is imperative. An experienced attorney can turn what would otherwise be an incarceration sentence into a probationary period, a diversion program, or even in some cases, an acquittal or a summary citation. There are many potential mitigating factors of Chester County theft penalties, such as a clean criminal record. The tools available with the right experienced attorney are enumerable.

Under the right circumstances , an attorney can take a felony theft and defend it all the way through court to an acquittal. Another option is to take a mistake or an error and indicate such to the court and/or prosecution, or even the police at the earliest possible time, sometimes even before the case is investigated. As a result, cases can be dismissed even prior to proper filings of complaints.

Contacting an Attorney

If an individual suspects he or she is subject to a theft investigation in Chester County, he or she should immediately contact an experienced attorney.

There are many possible options but the options can be specific to the individual court. The determining factors of Chester County theft penalties can vary greatly based on the circumstances of a case. It is essential that an individual have an attorney at every stage of the process. This will ensure all possibilities can be examined and nothing will be missed, and as a result, an individual’s case will be handled in a way that ultimately yields the most favorable result for the client.