Building a Virginia Auto Theft Defense

Auto theft refers to the theft of a vehicle with the intention of permanently depriving people of that vehicle. It can sometimes constitute a felony offense, depending on the value of the vehicle. The consequences of felony conviction include serious fines, jail time, difficulty maintaining employment and finding housing. With so much at stake, it is important that you get in touch with an auto theft attorney that could help. An experienced auto theft lawyer could begin building a Virginia auto theft defense for you.

How Auto Theft Differs From Other Theft-Related Offenses

Auto theft is different from other theft offenses because it involves a motor vehicle. That is the only different element.  An auto theft defense is different from other theft defenses because it involves a motor vehicle. When building a Virginia auto theft defense it is important to take that difference into account.

Favorable Outcomes in Auto Theft Cases

A favorable outcome to auto theft charges would depend on what the facts are of the person’s case and what their situation is. There is no way to say what a favorable outcome would be because for some people that might look like avoiding active jail time. For others, that might look like reducing the charge down to a petty larceny offense.

For some people that might look like fighting the case and winning it. If a person is negotiating with the prosecutor, usually the negotiations for some type of felony charge involve the idea of potentially negotiating down to a misdemeanor. Sometimes it is with jail time to get that misdemeanor charge. It is going to depend on how serious the case is and how strong the evidence is against the person. No two cases are alike.

How Can a Lawyer Help

An attorney could help those facing auto theft charges by helping them navigate the trial process. They could also start building a Virginia auto theft defense and attempting to fight that person’s case. The lawyer could look at the prosecution’s evidence and find the strengths and weakness to negotiate on the person’s half with the prosecutor. Having an attorney by one’s side is always going to be helpful.

Value of a Virginia Auto Theft Attorney

Somebody in Virginia would want to hire a local attorney for an auto theft charge because hiring a local attorney is always something that makes sense. It never makes sense to bring in an outside attorney who is not familiar with the jurisdiction, with the judges, or with the prosecutors. A person needs somebody who knows the local rules, who knows the local juries, and who has experience fighting those types of cases. The reason that someone needs that is that that would potentially help the person reduce their charge or give them an inside scoop as to what is happening with the person’s case and what could happen with the person’s case.

The person could get better deals if they know the jurisdiction and they know the jurors. They know their arguments, so the defense attorney will be better-tailored to the judge that the person has. They will see a much larger advantage if they have somebody who knows the territory and who have had similar cases. They will be able to give the person a much more realistic idea of the outcome. If someone faces an auto theft offense they should speak with a lawyer that could help them start building a Virginia auto theft defense.