Felony shoplifting charges dismissed in Manhattan

2015

Lance’s client was arrested for shoplifting over $2,000 of merchandise at a high-end retailer in Manhattan. Found in possession of the property and having given a confession, the prosecutor had a strong case. When our client reached out to us, our client had a different lawyer who had accepted a deal where our client would have ended up with a permanent criminal record. Our client was unhappy with this and turned to us for help. We took over and canceled the old deal that would have given our client a criminal record. We fought on the ground of lack of proof beyond a reasonable doubt and after several months of renewed negotiation, made a new deal that avoided jail and avoided a criminal record as long as our client stayed arrest-free for a year and completed community service. Our client subsequently failed to properly handle the community service, according to the prosecutor, so we defended that new issue which went in our favor after some additional litigation.