A Lake County petit theft case is one of the most common theft charges in Lake County. It is also commonly referred to as a Lake County petty theft. If the value of the merchandise is less than $100 the charge will be petit theft second degree which is punishable by up to 60 days in jail, up to 6 months of probation and up to a $500 fine. If the value of the property is over $100 but less than $300 it would be classified as petit theft first degree punishable by up to a year in jail, up to 12 months of probation and up to a $1,000 fine. If you are adjudicated guilty of petit theft your driver's license can be suspended for 6 months on the first conviction and 12 months on each subsequent conviction. If the accused has a prior theft the second theft can be charged as a first degree misdemeanor regardless of value. If the accused has 2 or more prior convictions the case can be charged as a third degree felony regardless of the value alleged during the current offense. A third degree felony is punishable by up to 5 years in prison, up to 60 months of probation and up to a $5,000 fine.
Lake County Retail Theft Attorney
Lake County retail theft means the taking possession of or carrying away of merchandise, property, money, or negotiable documents; altering or removing a label, universal product code, or price tag; transferring merchandise from one container to another; or removing a shopping cart, with intent to deprive the merchant of possession, use, benefit, or full retail value. Retail theft is similar to petty theft with the additional element that the alleged victim must be a merchant. A merchant is an owner or operator, or the agent, consignee, employee, lessee, or officer of an owner or operator, of any premises or apparatus used for retail purchase or sale of any merchandise. The penalties for retail theft are nearly identical to the penalties of petit theft. The only exception is on a second offense the court is required to impose a $50 minimum fine in addition to the court costs. Prosecutors will often charge the accused with petit theft to avoid the additional burden of proving the alleged victim is a merchant.
Lake County Grand Theft Attorney
Grand theft charges in Lake County are serious. They can range from the less serious third degree felony grand theft to the much more serious crime of a first degree felony grand theft. What grand theft charges an individual is charged with depends on the overall value of the property they stole. However, even if the property stolen is not worth much money, if it is unique in nature it may qualify as a grand theft charge.
- Grand theft in the first degree- If an individual steals property that has accumulated value of $100,000 or more then they will be accused of a grand theft charge in the first degree. In Lake County the maximum penalties for first degree grand theft charges is 30 years in a state prison and fines up to $10,000.
- Grand theft in the second degree- If an individual steals property with the value between $20,000-$100,000 it falls under the category of a grand theft charge in the second degree. In Lake County grand theft in the second degree has a maximum punishment of 15 years in state prison and fines up to $10,000.
- Grand Theft in the Third Degree- If an individual steals property between $300-$20,000 it will be classified as a grand theft charge in the third degree. In Lake County it comes with a maximum penalty of up to 5 years in a state prison along with a $5000 fine. A grand theft charge in the third degree can still be charged if property value stolen is less than $300 but the particular item was a gun, firearm, stop-sign, or other statutorily defined items.
Lake County theft attorney Kevin Pitts has experience on both sides of the courtroom. Mr. Pitts started his legal career as a prosecutor in 2008. He opened an office and started practicing criminal defense in 2010 after leaving the State Attorney's office. Mr. Pitts handles Mount Dora theft cases, Leesburg theft cases, Clermont theft cases, Tavares theft cases and all other theft cases in Lake County. If you are accused of theft call Kevin Pitts at 352-508-7575 to set up a free consultation.