What to do if my friend and I got arrested for petty theft a couple weeks ago?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if my friend and I got arrested for petty theft a couple weeks ago?
It totalled about $70. This “undercover” Protection Officer stopped us at the door and asked us to come back to his office. He made me empty my purse. Then he asked for our ID’s but since they were in the car he said he had to call the cops. We got “arrested”, no handcuffs or anything. The cop didn’t even read us rights. We went willingly and cooperated with everyone. The Protection Officer said he wasn’t going to ban us because we were nice and didn’t give him any trouble. So we got fingerprinted and got a ticket for a court date coming up next week in town court. This is our first offense ever.
Asked on August 3, 2013 under Criminal Law, New York
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 10 years ago | Contributor
You and your friend need to get a lawyer as soon as you can. New York criminal laws use the term “larceny” to describe theft laws. In New York, larceny occurs when a person “wrongfully takes, obtains or withholds” property from its rightful owner, with the intent to deprive the owner of such property. (N.Y. Penal Law § 155.05.)
Theft as Petit Larceny. The lowest-level theft offense in New York is called "petit larceny," or petty theft, which is the unlawful taking of property or services valued at no more than $1,000. New York law classifies petit larceny as a class A misdemeanor. (N.Y. Penal Law § 155.25.)
A sentence for conviction of a class A misdemeanor in New York may include imprisonment for a term not to exceed one year and a fine not to exceed $1,000. (Penal Law § 70.15, § 80.05(1).)
I don't care how "nice" everyone seemed. Get a lawyer now.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.