Lisa Pelosi: You have to distinguish between cases where clients clearly, clearly are being charged with the crime they didn’t commit versus clients who really did commit the crimes but they don’t even understand why they did it. It’s very hard for some people to admit that they did it because there’s a strong sense of embarrassment connected to it because under the umbrella term of theft, it runs the gamut as every socioeconomic background and it’s not a poor people’s crime, it’s not just the rich people’s crime; theft comes in all walks of society. A lot of people simply are very embarrassed and ashamed when they’re arrested, some are very angry because actually, they didn’t commit the crime and they’re being accused of committing the crime. So, there’s a lot of emotions that are involved and a lot of embarrassment that are involved whether someone’s guilty or not guilty.
Prosecutors May Empathize with Elderly Individuals Suffering from Dementia
Interviewer: What about elderly individuals? Have you ever heard of cases or seen cases that involve an elderly individual that maybe suffered from dementia or something along the lines?
Lisa Pelosi: Yes. The prosecutor’s office is pretty open to understanding those problems, for the elderly and I think they would be most compassionate with those types of crimes.
Parents Should Be Careful with Children in Stores as They May Take Something and Be Charged with Shoplifting
Interviewer: What if I had a 15 or 16-year old son or daughter that’s stole something and what’s going to happen in that case?
Lisa Pelosi: Parents should be really careful with those cases and take them very seriously because at 15 or 16-year old, you want their record totally cleared up because when they apply for colleges, when they apply for jobs, something like this will be a hindrance to their future.
The Advantages of Hiring a Private Attorney as Opposed to Self-Representation or a Public Defender
Interviewer: What the advantage of hiring a private attorney for a theft charge over — because I think a lot of times, people will try to handle it on their own, it seems like, and I’ve heard of people who tried to handle theft cases on their own or try to go with the public defender, what would be the advantage of hiring a private attorney for a theft charge?
Lisa Pelosi: If people can afford a private attorney, then they’re going to get more time to spend with the lawyer so that the attorney understands all the facts and circumstances involved, all the history of the family and of the client and the attorney will walk the family through the case and explain things out in a very productive way. There are many good public defenders and if people are comfortable with their public defender, that’s fine but I think if a family or an individual want specialized treatment and access to their attorney 24 hours a day and that’s something that’s important to them, I think that they should consider hiring a private attorney. Either way whether they stay with a public defender or hire a good private attorney. The most important issue is to have the attorney do her best to get the case dismissed if possible so that the person doesn’t have a criminal record.
The Qualities to Look for When Retaining an Attorney to Defend a Theft Charge
Interviewer: When someone is seeking an attorney for their theft charge or petty theft case, whether it’s petty larceny or something, along the lines of robbery to burglary, what sort of qualities should they be looking for? At the same time, what are some red flags?
Lisa Pelosi: I don’t think it’s anything that’s particular to a theft case but in general, they should find an attorney who does a predominantly criminal defense work. Often times, people who are former prosecutors are good choice. You want someone who knows the system and who’s practiced in the courthouse for many years and who knows the prosecutors and understands how the system works and then, you want an attorney who has done these types of cases before and who not only have dealt with handling the cases up to a dismissal or a plea bargain but also someone who is not afraid to go to trial and knows what evidence to look for in order to help their client try to get the case dismissed.
