http://www.tallahassee.com/videos/news/local/2014/05/15/9124597/

Jameis is the quarterback for Florida State and also plays on the baseball team.  He was suspended from the baseball team already due to the incident.  A theft charge can affect a person in more drastic and life-altering ways that just missing a few of their baseball games.  It can cost someone arrested for Petit Theft their job, a place to live, and their reputation.  If your theft charge is not handled correctly by an experienced theft attorney, the arrest can haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Another huge mistake Mr. Winston made was by talking to the police, media, and store security.  Mr. Winston allegedly stated that he “forgot” he had the crab legs with him because he was being mobbed by fans seeking autographs.  The video clearly shows this did not occur and now he has even less credibility than he had before he spoke.

ALWAYS TALK TO A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY BEFORE SPEAKING TO THE POLICE OR STORE SECURITY!

Store security has rights under Florida law to detain you, but you are NOT required to make a statement to them about any incident.  Many times, the police will arrive and my clients tell me “The police officer said that if I told them what I did, the officer would not arrest me and would only give me a Notice to Appear at a court date.”  Not being arrested has a number of benefits.  The biggest benefit is not having your mugshot on the Sheriff’s webpage or those private websites that try to profit off people’s arrests.  Also, not having to bond out of jail saves you time and money.  However, it may cost you a defense you may have had to the theft charge.  In Mr. Winston’s case, his statement probably would not have mattered in his case because the video will be sufficient proof.  However, it will hurt his credibility with the court and prosecutor when he attempts to express remorse or take responsibility for his actions and could cost him a chance to get into a diversion program so that the criminal charges end up being dismissed.

Protect your reputation and good name against background searches! Call me now to learn about defenses and options to resolve your Petit Theft, Grand Theft, or Shoplifting case.

 CALL AND SET YOUR FREE OFFICE CONSULTATION NOW! 

Thomas C. Grajek  863-688-4606

Criminal defense lawyer handling all felony and misdemeanor theft cases including Scheme to Defraud, Grand Theft, Petit Theft, Petty Theft, and Shoplifting.

What does it mean to be “cited”?  Many people (usually those that are not Florida State fans) are wondering why he wasn’t arrested and booked into the jail.  The majority of the time a suspect is accused of shoplifting, they are NOT arrested, but instead are issued a “Notice to Appear” at a future court date. This is especially true if the person has no prior record and cooperates with the police.  A “notice to Appear” is basically an order that the accused person appear at a future court date to answer to the criminal charge.  If the person does not appear at this court date called an “Arraignment”, a warrant will be issued for their arrest and the person will be arrested and booked into the jail.

This case will probably be resolved through a diversion program.  A diversion program is often offered to 1st time offenders and results in the criminal charge being dropped as long as the defendant successfully completes the diversion program.  The person does not enter a plea to the charge and is not put on probation.  Usually there is a theft class to take, a fine, and some community service hours.  If the charge is dropped, the person can expunge their record so that it erases the information from the clerk’s website and “unarrests” the person.  Being issued a “Notice to Appear” is in effect the same as being arrested.

Today, with the internet and background searches, it is very important that a person keeps their record clean and seals or expunges their arrest if they are eligible.  An arrest, especially one involving a crime of dishonesty, can cause a person to lose their job or not be able to rent an apartment.

If you have been arrested it is very important that you call an experienced criminal defense attorney that knows about these diversion programs and how to keep your criminal record clean.  The consultation is free so you do not have an excuse to call and get more information about your arrest!

CALL NOW AND SPEAK TO AN EXPERIENCED CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER.

FREE OFFICE CONSULTATION 

Thomas C. Grajek  863-688-4606

Polk County criminal defense lawyer handling all felony and misdemeanor theft cases including scheme to Defraud, Grand Theft,

Petit Theft, Petty Theft, and Shoplifting.