Shoplifting Can Steal Your Future

 Posted on November 04, 2016 in Theft and Property Crimes

With an increasing amount of pressure on our teens, we see a rise in unusual behavior. Our children face uncertainty upon leaving high school, partly due to fluctuation in job markets as well as climbing education costs. The need for perfection in school and extracurriculars is high to obtain scholarships to pay for education. Not to mention the additional stress for social status and every mistake spread wildly across social media outlets. Many of these stressors may lead to a cry for help or an error to fit in, potentially resulting in criminal accusations, such as theft or other property crimes.

A Learning Curve

A juvenile is an individual under the legal adult age of 18. In Connecticut, anyone under the age of 18 has a proclivity to make mistakes, and many deserve punishment, although not as severe as the adult counterpart. Many consequences for those in this age bracket are designed to teach a lesson rather than remove rights. This theory applies to a certain extent encompassing mostly theft related crimes because in many other situations adult punishments are the only option.

Crimes and Punishments

Although sentencing may be of a lesser severity, this is not to say that those who commit a crime under the age of 18 get off without consequences. In many cases, the arrest and any conviction will remain as a part of a criminal record. For most, these are confidential records. However, there are those who are still able to access them. Other common punishments for theft crimes are:

• Petty theft: Stealing low priced items or cash in small amounts may result in juvenile detention or probation,
• Larceny 6: Making off with items valued up to $500.00 is considered to be a class C misdemeanor has consequences of small fines (less than their $500.00 adult counterpart), community service, and probation,
• Larceny 5: Pilfering more than $500.00 of items remains a misdemeanor category which means it will still likely remain within the juvenile court sector with punishments of fines, community service, probation, and rehabilitation, and
• Larceny 4: Absconding with items valued over $1,000.00 is the most severe crime and may result in fines of up to $2,000.00, and up to a year in jail, however, most juveniles do not get the maximum penalties.

If your child is accused of theft of property, no matter how severe, you will want to do everything possible to protect their future. At the ripe age of 18, most of your life remains in front of you, and one mishap should not take that away. The best way to have a case dismissed or receive a reduced sentence is to retain an attorney who has experience in these specialized situations. If you are interested in discussing your situation with a Stamford, CT juvenile theft attorney, contact the Law Offices of Daniel P. Weiner today at 203-348-5846 to schedule your free initial consultation.

Sources:

http://www.ct.gov/opm/cwp/view.asp?Q=383628