Petit Theft, Retail Theft, & Shoplifting

Brevard County, FL Theft Defense Lawyer

The Canina Law Firm has represented hundreds of individuals charged with petit theft offenses. If you have been arrested for petit theft in Brevard County, FL, your best protection is to consult an experienced, local criminal defense attorney at the earliest possible stage in your case. In Florida, petit theft is known as a “crime of dishonesty” and may be charged either as a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the number of prior convictions on a person’s record. Penalties upon conviction may include heavy fines, probation, and incarceration.

Definitions and Degrees of Petit Theft

A person commits “theft” if they knowingly obtain or use, or endeavor to obtain or use, the property of another with intent to, either permanently or temporarily: (1) deprive the other person of a right to the property, or (2) appropriate the property to their own use or to the use of any person not entitled thereto.

If the value of the property stolen is less than $100, a person is guilty of second degree petit theft, a second degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in the Brevard County Jail and/or a $500 fine.

If the value of the property stolen is more than $100 but less than $750, a person is guilty of first degree petit theft, a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in the Brevard County Jail and/or a $1000 fine.

If the Defendant has one prior conviction for petit theft, regardless of the degree of the offense, and is charged with a second offense petit theft, the new offense will be charged as a first degree misdemeanor.

If the Defendant has two or more prior convictions for petit theft, regardless of the degrees of those offenses, and is charged with a new petit theft, the Defendant will be charged with felony petit theft, which is a third degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and/or a $5000 fine.

Defenses to a Petit Theft Charge

A seasoned team of criminal defense lawyers will be able to examine the evidence against you to pinpoint possible defenses, which can include the following: the location of the suspected stolen items, abandonment of stolen property, mistaken identification, poor quality video surveillance, false accusations by loss prevention officers, culpability of co-defendants, mistakenly leaving the store/passing the point of sale, and others. If you gave a statement confessing to the theft, or if the state does have a strong case against you, an experienced defense attorney will strive to mitigate the damage caused and get you the best possible result under the circumstances. An experienced attorney will negotiate with the state and attempt to keep you from being convicted, attempt to keep you from being on supervised probation, and attempt to keep you from having to serve jail time or perform community service.

The Canina Law Firm | Brevard County Petit Theft Lawyer

If you have been arrested for Petit Theft or Retil Theft in Brevard County, FL, you should immediately contact an aggressive Brevard criminal defense attorney who is experienced in handling these cases. At The Canina Law Firm, our firm sets itself apart from others in the level of personal service and individual attention that we provide to our clients. Our attorneys are committed to defending our clients vigorously and to keeping them fully informed at each stage of the case. With over 50 years of combined experience defending against Petit Theft charges in Brevard County, Florida, our attorneys will work hard to get you the best result possible. Contact our office today for a FREE case evaluation.

Brevard County Florida Criminal Defense Attorney

The Canina Law Firm proudly defends all residents of Brevard County and all cities and towns along Florida’s Space Coast including: Melbourne, Viera, Suntree, West Melbourne, Melbourne Village, Palm Shores, Palm Bay, Rockledge, Merritt Island, Titusville, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach, Grant, Valkaria, Micco, Barefoot Bay, Scottsmoor, Mims, and Sebastian, as well as neighboring Volusia County, Seminole County, Orange County, Osceola County, and Indian River County, FL.

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