Misdemeanor Charges That You Could Face Trying To Retrieve A Stolen Item

It's never a good feeling to realize that someone you know has taken something that belongs to you. Perhaps a so-called friend has stolen something from your home, or maybe you've lent something to someone and he or she hasn't returned it. Your first instinct may be to go to the person's house to retrieve what is rightfully yours, but this decision could possibly lead to you getting charged. A better decision is to contact the police and explain the situation. However, if you've already gone to retrieve the possession and are now in trouble with the law, you could be facing these misdemeanor charges.

Theft

It's possible — and likely very unfair, in your mind — that you could be charged with theft as a result of going to the person's house and taking your item back. If you weren't able to prove to the police that the item indeed belonged to you, the other person may press theft charges against you. It's possible that your defense attorney will be able to eventually get this charge dismissed if you're able to provide evidence about the true ownership of the item, but a theft charge may loom over you in the meantime.

Trespassing

You may also end up with a trespassing misdemeanor charge as a result of attempting to get your item back. The reality is that even if you were retrieving something that belongs to you, you were likely on the other person's property or even inside his or her home without legally having a right to be there. In addition to the trespassing charge, it's also possible that you could end up with a break-and-enter charge if you perhaps went into the person's house or garage to find the item.

Assault

Assault charges are often misdemeanors, but they're still serious. Even if you didn't go over to the person's house with the intention of engaging in a physical confrontation, things can quickly escalate. For example, perhaps the friend didn't want to give up the item, and you attempted to take it from him or her. A physical struggle could have ensued, and even if you didn't outwardly kick or punch the person, you may have shoved him or her — and the person may have called the police and asked them to press charges against you for assault. You'll want to go over every detail of the difficult situation you're facing so that your attorney can build a case for you.

In any of these cases, it's important to make sure you do whatever you can to defend yourself. Most attorneys will list the services they provide on their website, as you can see here: http://dlplawyers.com/, so finding legal assistance shouldn't be too difficult.

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