Consequences of Shoplifting in San Bernardino (PC 484)

You may think there’s no harm in taking an item from a store. Many people who shoplift think, “this store makes enough money; they can certainly afford to give me this one little item.” Unfortunately, you could face serious consequences if you are convicted of shoplifting, and the penalties could haunt you for years to come.

Consequences of Shoplifting in San Bernardino (PC 484)

Under California Penal Code Section 484, you could be charged with a misdemeanor if you are accused of shoplifting in San Bernardino. If you are convicted of shoplifting, you face up to one year in county jail.

Also, if you have three prior convictions for a theft-related offense, a subsequent offense of petty theft can be filed as a felony by the district attorney’s office, regardless of the amount that was taken.

A shoplifting conviction will appear on your criminal record and is considered a crime of moral turpitude. Potential employers as well as licensing boards and other agencies may see this by running a background check on you before hiring you. This will most certainly affect your reputation and career goals in life.

Defenses to Shoplifting

Our attorneys at Wallin & Klarich can work hard to help you avoid a conviction in your shoplifting case. The prosecution must prove that you had the specific intent to steal the item when you left the store. There are many entirely innocent reasons why a person would leave a store without paying for an item. Those reasons include:

• You just forgot the item was in your shopping cart
• You left the store to be able to get reception to make a phone call and forgot you had an item you had not paid for
• You paid for many things at the check out counter and one item ended up accidentally with your other property
• You were distracted due to being in the store with your child or for any other reason

Our skilled and knowledgeable attorneys have successfully used these defenses in prior cases to help our clients have their charges dismissed or reduced. In other cases, our theft defense lawyers have been able to have the charges dismissed by entering into a “civil compromise” with the owners of the store.

Call the Shoplifting Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich Today

If you or a loved one is facing charges of shoplifting, you need to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. At Wallin & Klarich, our skilled attorneys have been successfully defending our clients against shoplifting charges for over 40 years. We can help you avoid the consequences of a conviction.

We have offices located in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Torrance, Orange County, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, West Covina and Victorville so we can provide round-the-clock assistance to you no matter where you work or live.

Call us today at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free phone consultation. We will be there when you call.