Shoplifting, also known as Retail Theft in Illinois, might seem like a minor offense to some, but it carries serious legal consequences. As an experienced criminal defense attorney who has spent decades representing clients across the Chicagoland area, I can tell you that even after you’ve left the store, your…
As a criminal defense attorney with over three decades of experience representing clients charged with Retail Theft and Burglary throughout Illinois, I’m often asked whether someone can be charged with Burglary for what seems like a simple act of shoplifting. This question arises frequently, especially in Cook County, DuPage County,…
I often receive phone calls from clients asking me if they can go back home after they are released from jail or whether they can contact their boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse after being released from jail. I usually tell those clients to come to my office and bring all…
In criminal cases, it is common for the prosecution to seek to admit into evidence things that were seized by the police as a result of the search of a residence. One of the first things that a criminal defense attorney does in a criminal case involving the search of…
This morning I spoke to a client who made it out of a local store last night after shoplifting a couple of items without getting caught. The client wanted to know whether they could still be arrested for shoplifting and charged with a Retail Theft even though they were not…
A common question I get from clients is whether they will have to go to jail if they are arrested by the police. Yesterday, I received a telephone call from a prospective client who was caught shoplifting at a local Target. When he was approached by store security, he ran…
I recently met with a client whose son had been questioned by the police at the police station and charged with a Retail Theft. The client was complaining that the police questioned her son at the police station without providing a lawyer for him and without allowing her to be…
Everybody knows that if you are arrested and charged with a Retail Theft, or Shoplifting, you will be facing serious criminal penalties that could have serious implications for your future. How many people are surprised to find out that in addition to the criminal implications of a Retail Theft, they…
This is one of the most common questions I get asked by people that have been arrested and charged with a Retail Theft. When I get asked that question, that’s when I start asking questions. Because whether or not they committed a Retail Theft depends on the specific facts of…
Clients that are charged with Retail Theft frequently call me a few weeks after they are arrested and tell me that they received a letter from the store’s lawyers demanding money. Sometimes, they receive this letter even if they haven’t been criminally charged for the Shoplifting. They usually have two…