Willowbrook Mall Shoplifting Attorneys

The experienced Willowbrook Mall shoplifting attorneys at Lubiner, Schmidt & Palumbo are available to assist if you are charged with shoplifting at the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, New Jersey. The Willowbrook Mall shoplifting lawyers at Lubiner, Schmidt & Palumbo have combined decades of experience handling criminal cases in municipal and superior courts throughout New Jersey. The storeowners and the Wayne police aggressively pursue charges against persons arrested for shoplifting at the Willowbrook Mall. If you are charged with shoplifting at the Willowbrook Mall, you will need experienced and equally aggressive Willowbrook Mall shoplifting attorneys to represent you and protect your rights.

The Willowbrook Mall is one of the largest malls in New Jersey. Interstate Route 80 and local Routes 23 and 46 make the mall a convenient destination for shoppers in nearby communities. National chain stores such as Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Sephora and Old Navy are among the 200 plus stores, restaurants and shops that draw shoppers (and shoplifters) to Willowbrook.

New Jersey shoplifting laws (NJSA 2C:20-11) are strictly enforced by the Wayne police and prosecutor. Conviction on charges of shoplifting can lead to a fine, jail time, mandatory community service and a criminal record. Having a criminal record can negatively impact a person’s employment and educational opportunities in the future. If you are arrested for shoplifting at the mall, you should immediately contact the Willowbrook Mall shoplifting attorneys at Lubiner, Schmidt & Palumbo.

Under New Jersey law, shoplifting can occur in any one of six separate actions:

• removing items from a store with the intent of depriving the owner of the item’s value
• concealing merchandise while in the store
• altering or transferring price tags to hide the actual value of the merchandise
• placing items in a different container
• under ringing the merchandise
• taking a cart from the store property intending to steal it

Under New Jersey law, the penalties for shoplifting include fines and possibly jail. The severity of the penalty depends on the dollar value of the merchandise stolen. If the value of merchandise is below $200 it is a disorderly persons offense with a fine up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. If the value is between $200 and $500 it is a fourth degree crime, which is a felony. It carries a penalty of up to 18 months jail time and up to a $10,000 fine.

If the value of the stolen goods is between $500 and $75,000, it is a third degree crime with up to five years jail time and up to a $15,000 fine. If the value of the items is over $75,000, it is treated as a second degree crime with up to 10 years jail time and a fine up to $150,000.

Lastly, as mentioned above, conviction of shoplifting charges also means the convicted person has to perform 10 days community service for the first offense, 15 days for the second and 25 days for the third.

If you are arrested for shoplifting at the Willowbrook Mall, remember that the prosecutor, whether in Wayne municipal court or Passaic County superior court, is obligate to prove any and all charges beyond a reasonable doubt. That is a very high legal standard; the Willowbrook Mall shoplifting attorneys at Lubiner, Schmidt & Palumbo will hold the prosecutor to that standard. As experienced Willowbrook Mall shoplifting attorneys, we know that many shoplifting arrests result from mistakes or errors in judgement by the shopper and, sometimes, the store employees. We also know what procedures the police are obligated to follow, and which stores may have cameras filming in the store and which don’t. We will obtain all relevant police reports, witness statements, etc. We will present an aggressive defense from a position of strength.

As experienced Willowbrook Mall shoplifting attorneys, we also recognize that many shoplifting cases are resolved through plea bargaining. We will only conduct plea negotiations with the prosecutor with the full and complete agreement of the client. Also, the Willowbrook Mall shoplifting attorneys at Lubiner, Schmidt & Palumbo will never force a client to accept a plea.

If you have been charged with shoplifting at the Willowbrook Mall, immediately contact the Willowbrook Mall shoplifting lawyers at Lubiner, Schmidt & Palumbo. We will be your strongest advocates!