Get Shoplifting Charges Dismissed in Wayne, NJ
Arrested for Shoplifting in Wayne? Contact us now
Attorney needed for shoplifting offense in Wayne Court? Call us now for immediate assistance.
The Tormey Law Firm LLC recently defended a client against shoplifting charges in Wayne, New Jersey. The client had been accused of stealing items from a Wayne NJ store and committing a shoplifting offense in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:20-11(b). Since the retail value of the allegedly stolen items was greater than $500, the client faced felony charges in the Passaic County Superior Court, which is located in Paterson, NJ. The consequences of a conviction for a felony-level theft offense would have been significant: our client faced several years in New Jersey State Prison, as well as a conviction on her permanent record.
Felony Shoplifting Charge Downgraded to Disorderly Persons Offense
The criminal defense attorneys at the Tormey Law Firm understood that the stakes were high, so we did everything necessary to beat the shoplifting charges. One of our skilled attorneys appeared in Passaic County Superior Court and fought the charge, eventually convincing the assistant county prosecutor to downgrade the charge from a felony to a disorderly persons offense (misdemeanor) and remand the case to the Wayne Municipal Court.
We received all of the discovery evidence from the State which can include police reports, witness statements, videos from the store, etc. After the discovery is provided, we conference the case with the Wayne Municipal Prosecutor to see if the case can be resolved. Some potential resolutions include:
- Dismissal of the charges
- Downgrade of the charges to an ordinance violation
- Conditional dismissal first time offender program
- Trial
Once the case was sent back to Wayne Municipal Court, our criminal defense lawyers stood by the client and continued to contest the theft charges. When store representatives failed to appear in court to testify, we asked the court to immediately dismiss the charges. Although the judge initially denied our motion, he did mark the next court date as “try or dismiss.” This meant that failure by the store representatives to appear would result in the charges being thrown out. And that’s exactly what happened. The charges against our client were dismissed for lack of prosecution, meaning that she was able to avoid all penalties.
In addition, she was eligible to file immediately for an expedited expungement to have the arrest removed from her record as well.
Fight False Shoplifting Case in Wayne NJ Court
This was a tremendous outcome for our client and a big win for the Tormey Law Firm.