Although law is an immensely diverse and complicated subject, at the simplest level, it can be broken down into two basic divisions: civil and criminal. Civil law covers family law, personal injuries, contesting wills, landlord versus tenant disputes and similar situations. The focus of this branch is to resolve conflicts and ensure victims receive compensation for injuries and property damage. Criminal law centers around convicting those who intentionally violate the law and enforcing punishment for their wrongdoings.
Among those crimes is theft, which covers a number of scenarios. While this crime is broadly defined as taking someone else’s property, it diverges a great deal beyond this generalization. Petty theft entails stealing items of little value whereas grand theft indicates taking valuable items. This can lead to harsh penalties on its own, including fines, community service or jail time. Criminal Lawyers in Enumclaw defend those accused of theft. If you have been accused of theft and the evidence against you is substantial, your attorney may not be able to have you exonerated of the charges, but they can possibly convince the judge to reduce your punishment.
Further division covers what happens to the property after it is stolen. Once you steal an item, you may decide to sell it. This is where the ideas of deception and conversion come into play. Selling stolen items under the pretense of ownership escalates the penalties involved. In such a situation, you could face prison or probation as well as being sentenced to pay reparations to the rightful owner of the property. If you are convicted of theft by conversion or deception, Criminal Lawyers in Enumclaw may be able to convince the prosecution to accept a plea bargain, which would present you with a reduced sentence in exchange for admitting your guilt.
You may find yourself in trouble when you had no intention of depriving someone of their personal property. Perhaps a trusted friend came to you with an amazing offer to purchase a BMW at a reasonable price. You would have been a fool to decline, so you became the owner of the vehicle with your own bill of sale. You applied for a title only to discover the vehicle was stolen. Now, you find yourself charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. In this case, Criminal Lawyers in Enumclaw may be able to prove your innocence and ensure the one who sold you the car is punished.
