In The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a first offense for retail theft when the value of the merchandise taken is over $150.00 is graded as a misdemeanor. If the value of the stuff is under $150.00 its a summary offense (a ticket). Clear enough, right? Not so fast. It is the term “value of merchandise” that […]
I have spent many years as a Pennsylvania Retail Theft Lawyer and I have seen the retail theft laws grow and change over the years. The retail theft law itself is titled 18 P.C.S.A. 3929. A curious portion of this law provides that a person may be found guilty of retail theft even if the […]
Police arrested two people, Brandon Braxton,19, of Philadelphia, and Ashley Jones, 23, of Drexel Hill, on May 30, 2012, and charged them with Retail Theft for trying to walk out of the Lord & Taylor in Bala Cynwyd with about $1,559.00 worth of merchandise. According to police, the two were running a scam where Jones […]
Most often, a defendant’s first chance to test the evidence the Commonwealth has against them when they have been arrested for a crime is at the Preliminary Hearing. This is true for drug charges and offenses, DUI, assaults, and the vast array of criminal charges in Pennsylvania that are charged as misdemeanors or felonies. As […]
I’ve been dealing with the crime of retail theft as an attorney for almost twenty years and during this time the law has changed more than most other statutes that are on the books. Not only has the law changed, but the procedure in which police departments deal with Retail Theft offenses across the Commonwealth […]