I am being charged with a d-misdemeanor theft by unlawful taking. A woman left her purse at my work and being short on cash, I took the cash...

Question

I am being charged with a d-misdemeanor theft by unlawful taking. A woman left her purse at my work and being short on cash, I took the cash out of her wallet and returned the purse. It was $90. I have previous convictions of possession and paraphernalia. Am I looking at jail time?

Answer

Whenever you are charged with a crime there is always the possibility that a judge could put you in jail. That being said, it is a low level misdemeanor so there certainly is a decent chance that you get probation, assuming there is enough evidence to get the case past the Preliminary Hearing, which is where you get to see the evidence against you. Of course your prior record will be known by your sentencing judge who will make the determination as to what type of sentence you will receive.

If you have any questions or would like a consult please call me at 215-639-5297. Just so you know I am a former Senior Deputy District Attorney and I have handled over 7,500 cases over the past 20+ years in practice.

More information is available on my website at www.ykacrim.com or by reviewing my profile on the lawyer review website Avvo.com.