Houston Shoplifting Attorney

In Texas, you cannot be convicted of shoplifting merely because the person who arrested you thought that you intended to take an item out of the store without paying for it. Instead, your Houston criminal attorney can insist that the prosecution prove that you left the store without paying for an item and that you did so on purpose.

If you merely left the store with a bag of charcoal under your cart that you forgot to pay for with the rest of the items, you cannot be convicted unless there is evidence to show that you intentionally meant to not pay for it. This is a much harder than it sounds. Additionally, if you put an item in your pocket in the store and were arrested before you left the shop, you cannot be convicted because there is no evidence to show that you were actually going to steal it. Unless you told the police otherwise, there is sufficient evidence to show that you meant to pay for the item at the checkout but were arrested before you had a chance to do so. When you are facing shoplifting charges, your Houston criminal lawyer will put the burden of proof on the prosecution, who will often not be able to work past this challenge.

Our Houston Criminal Attorney Can Help in All Cases

Even if there is enough evidence to convict you or if you did confess to the crime though, we may still be able to have the charges against you dropped or at least negotiate a reduced sentence for you. Many of these cases involve citizens arrests by store employees or security guards and these people often illegally search suspects, coerce confessions or use excessive force. If your rights were violated in any way, your Houston criminal attorney can help you.

When you have been accused of shoplifting, please call The Law Office of J. Michael Threadgill and schedule a consultation with a top Houston criminal lawyer.