Almost every day, there’s a new story about dumb mistakes that will make you shake your head. We love to recap stories in which criminals appear to act without common sense. This could be viewed as all in good fun, but we also want to convey that criminals acting in zany ways need a legal advisor when they get their day in court. Let’s review a recent story from the Sunshine State:
Man Tries to Leave 7-11 With Motor Oil Bottles and Movies in His Pants
According to a recent news report, Polk County detective Phil Ryan reported that he was stationed outside a local 7-11 store when he observed a man stuffing 15 quarts of motor oil down his pants. Granted, the defendant did not know there was a plain clothes detective on the premises. Some of those bottles fell to the wayside. The defendant then proceeded to reach to the shelf, stack some movies together, and put those down his pants as well. Apparently, he walked out of the store with his pants bulging from these run-of-the-mill goods from the convenience store. When he saw Ryan, he walked back into the store and began to unpack the items from his pants.
The accused, William Jason Hall, was charged with felony theft because this action constituted his third petit theft. We guess he wasn’t counting on being observed by Phil Ryan. Didn’t he consider there would be in-store video surveillance equipment or perhaps another customer or store employee witnessing this act? Maybe he just wanted to go to jail and this was the only crime he could invent.
Breaking Down the Facts of the Case
We want to emphasize here that we’ve represented people, not Mr. Hall, for crimes that were more or less zany. They make for amusing news stories. We scratch our heads and wonder what the suspects were thinking. However, even though the crimes seemed too knuckle-headed to have been committed by real people, they are examples of individuals who made dumb mistakes and who could use the services of a defense attorney. The legal process is something people who have been accused of a crime before have some experience with. They may have been foolish enough to try and represent their case in the court alone before. Having not gotten the results they wanted, they may have decided the next time around to hire legal representation.
For first-time defendants, however, the whole legal process is new. It is something that can be scary, especially if the defendant is stuck in jail for an undefined amount of time because bail is denied. While a defendant may be able to secure advice from a public defender, a person who is hired by his family to represent him in court has more incentive to help him get acquitted.
We Can Help, Even If You’ve Made Dumb Mistakes
If you did something senseless and ended up in jail recently, it’s never too late to hire a defense team. You don’t want to get lost in the justice system and take whatever punishment the court deems is appropriate for dumb mistakes. You want to ensure that you receive due process each time you go to court. For details on hiring Dungan & LeFevre to represent you for a recent criminal charge, please contact us today. While we understand you might be embarrassed to share your story, especially if you were featured on the local or national news, it’s important to understand your legal rights. We help you speak to law enforcement investigators, prosecutors, and other court authorities without incriminating yourself. If you’re found guilty, we also help you negotiate the least penalty that the judge will accept.