Wrentham, Massachusetts is home to Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, which is the largest outdoor outlet shopping center in New England. There are over 170 stores and 160 brands represented here, from luxury to everyday.
Where there is such a range of shopping and storefronts, there is also the risk of being charged with shoplifting.
If this happens to you, it is imperative to contact a Wrentham Shoplifting Attorney immediately. Tracy Paulsen, at Rightful Legal, can assist with a shoplifting charge in Wrentham or anywhere in Massachusetts.
Shoplifting charges are often someone’s first criminal charge ever. Many of Attorney Paulsen’s clients have no prior experience with the criminal justice system and are deeply embarrassed and nervous about this charge. Whether this was a simple mistake or uncharacteristic wrongdoing, Attorney Paulsen can help. Our Wrentham Shoplifting Attorneys at Rightful Legal win these cases consistently, so this does not appear on your criminal record or background.
When you are charged with shoplifting, typically you will not be arrested aside from egregious circumstances like high value items or repeat offense. Typically, you will be told that you will receive a summons to appear at a clerk magistrate hearing.
The clerk magistrate hearing is extremely important, because this is an opportunity to have the case dismissed prior to criminal charges being issued. The clerk magistrate’s job is to determine if there is probable cause to issue the criminal complaint and charges of shoplifting.
Under Massachusetts law, an individual is entitled to a clerk magistrate hearing for a misdemeanor offense when they are not placed under arrest initially.
At the clerk magistrate hearing, Attorney Paulsen will attempt to persuade the clerk not to issue the criminal complaint.
This can be accomplished in a number of ways. For example, our Wrentham Shoplifting Attorneys will focus on such things as your background to show that this was out of character for you, relay any difficult extenuating circumstances you have endured or any medical or mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression. Even if there is convincing evidence, we can advocate that this was a one-off mistake by an upstanding citizen with no criminal record and show that it will not happen again.
The outcome we often find is that no complaint is issued or the case is continued for some time in the future, and if you avoid further infractions and complete some voluntary programs, the case will be dismissed and gone at the end of this period.
If the criminal complaint is issued, the case will proceed to arraignment. Even in this instance, we can still argue for the case to be dismissed with any payments, restitution and/or court costs. If the charges are dismissed in court the impact to your record is minimal.
Some allegations are far more serious, and it is even more vital to obtain competent legal counsel for your case.
Attorney Paulsen is a passionate and dedicated lawyer, committed to helping people live their best life and achieve their goals. One mistake should never come in the way of that.
Rightful Legal and Attorney Paulsen can help you get a second chance by calling now.