Miami Grand Theft Lawyer

Grand Theft Defenses in Florida

Our grand theft attorney in Miami from Jonathan Blecher, P.A. can help you defend against your charges using one of the five accepted defenses for this offense.

In brief, these defenses are as follows:

• Equal Ownership: You had an equal or superior ownership interest in property that was allegedly stolen.
• Good Faith Belief: You did not take the property with the intent to steal it or you took the property believing you had an ownership interest in it.
• Mere Presence: Merely being present at the scene of the crime, having knowledge that grand theft occurred, or even acting suspiciously after the alleged offense is not enough to prove someone’s guilt for grand theft.
• Valueless Property: Trash has no value in Florida, so an item that is apparently discarded
  in a publicly accessible place or on someone else’s property is
  presumed to have no value and can be taken without consequence.
• Voluntary Abandonment: An attempt to steal property is abandoned before the person attempting the theft encounters circumstances that would otherwise lead them to choose to abandon the attempt. In other words, the person changes their mind about committing grand theft on their own and ceases their attempt.

What Are the Penalties for Grand Theft in Florida?

Grand theft is considered a felony in Florida, which means those convicted can expect to serve at least a year in prison, fines up to $5,000, and ordered to pay restitution. That said, the actual penalties one might face are determined by the degree of grand theft that they are convicted.

Grand theft can also be charged as three degrees of severity with scaling penalties from five years to up to thirty years in prison.

Clearly, even a lesser conviction for grand theft can be a very serious and life-altering experience in Florida. Reach out to our grand theft lawyer in Miami at Jonathan Blecher, P.A. to learn more about how you can defend against your charges.