When you face a theft charge and you are a member of the military, you are facing serious repercussions. Unfortunately, when you are a member of the military and someone accuses you of any type of crime, it will likely have a severe impact on your career because when it comes to misconduct, the military is particularly strict. In addition to how a typical court system may choose to punish you if a judge convicts you, the military has additional authority to punish you and you may face added penalties. When you are facing a theft charge and you are a member of the military, you should not rely on a civilian attorney to represent you in court. While they may be competent in a civilian court, they likely will not understand the nuances and complexities of a court-martial and how best to represent an active member of our military. This is why you should hire a civilian military criminal defense attorney in Quantico, VA, like one from The Federal Practice Group, to help you with your alleged theft case. For more information, please contact a law office now.
What is theft?
When someone accuses you of theft, it is typically an umbrella term that can encompass many different types of crime, including larceny, shoplifting, embezzlement, and even theft of services. When you take an item (or even intellectual property) from someone without the intent to return it, you are committing theft.
- Shoplifting. When someone shoplifts, they are intentionally taking items from a store without any intention of paying for those items or returning the items. Contrary to popular belief, a store security officer or manager can still accuse you of shoplifting while you are in the store if they have reason to believe you are trying to steal something.
- False Pretenses. When you provide false information or attempt to defraud someone so that they will give you their services or property, a judge could find you guilty of false pretenses.
- False Promise. If you make a promise to someone to pay them for their property, they give you their property, and you never intended to pay them in the first place, you are guilty of false promise.
- Theft of Services. This happens when you avoid paying a business or other establishment for the services after you stated you would pay them (for example, dining and dashing).
What are the consequences?
There are many civilian consequences that you could face, especially if a civilian police officer is the one who charged you for theft. Common punishments are:
- Jail
- Fines
- Probation
However, you may also face additional military penalties when it comes to your conviction. Some of these military punishments are:
- Confinement
- Grade Reduction
- Extra Duties
- Correctional Custody
- Forfeiture of Pay, and
- Military Discharge
The consequences of a theft conviction can impact the rest of your military career and you should not take these charges lightly. When someone has accused you of theft, you should feel confident in the military criminal defense lawyer who is representing you. When you team up with a law firm, they will go above and beyond to ensure you are getting the top defense for your case. For more information and to set up an appointment, contact a law office today.