It is that time of year again - the holidays. Most people would think that the holidays are supposed to be happy and fun times that you spend with your family. Believe it or not, for some, this is probably the most stressful time of year which involves little fun and not so happy times. Some are expected to make meals for their extended family; some are expected to shower others with gifts, and some are expected to spend a significant amount of time with ones they normally do not spend much time with during the year. These expectations can be quite exhausting for some. With these expectations trying to be met, it can lead a person to make a bad decision because so much is expected of them and they do not want to let family members down.
Every year I see a significant amount of theft during the holiday season. When I meet with clients, “letting their family down” tends to be the #1 reason why people are charged with theft this time of year. Although there are other options, it is certainly understandable why the theft happens. The theft generally involves the mother taking toys for their children, the homeless man taking clothes to stay warm from the store, or the family member who takes groceries for the holiday meal.
As a result of trying not to let their family down, the person is charged with theft. A theft conviction will keep you out of a wide array of jobs that involve you handling money and dealing with customers. I cannot emphasize enough how much a theft conviction on your record will ruin your ability to get a job. Although I mention it often in my blogs, I still get the call month after month that a person just went into court and pled guilty because “they didn’t know what to do” and now they want the theft conviction off their record because they cannot get a job. At this point it is generally too late to do much for them, they needed to call a defense attorney immediately upon receiving the citation or charge.
It is so very important that you speak with a criminal defense attorney about your theft charge prior to pleading guilty so that the matter can be handled appropriately and without a theft conviction on your record. Do not hesitate to contact the Feld Law Firm to discuss you or a loved one’s theft charge.