Stolen Lawnmower Charge Is Dissmissed For A Pittsburgh Man

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Stolen Lawnmower Charge Is Dissmissed For A Pittsburgh Man

No matter the charge or the circumstances surrounding your case, if you find yourself accused of a crime, it is important to find knowledgeable Pennsylvania criminal defense attorneys, who can effectively navigate the judicial system and advocate for the best possible outcome. This was the lesson a 28-year-old financial analyst from Pittsburgh learned after a property dispute with his ex-wife led to criminal theft charges. While a property agreement reached during the couple’s divorce granted a lawnmower to the man, his ex-wife refused to return the item. Eventually, the man took the lawnmower, but after a few days, the police showed up at his house and charged him with theft by unlawful taking.

The man was baffled that he could be charged with a crime for retrieving his own property and tried to explain his situation at a pre-trial hearing without an attorney. He argued that he was the rightful owner of the mower, but since he could not sufficiently articulate the matter, the Judge offered that he should repay $400 to his ex-wife for the machine. The man felt this was unacceptable and requested a trial. If found guilty at this trial, he’d now face a theft conviction on his record, a maximum fine of $7500, and possible jail time. Despite the fact that these were serious consequences and a theft conviction would be catastrophic to his career in finance, he wanted to proceed and finally consulted the accomplished Pennsylvania criminal defense team at Worgul, Sarna & Ness, Criminal Defense Attorneys, LLC.

Once he acquired capable legal counsel, attorney Matthew Ness was able to file a motion to dismiss the theft charges on his client’s behalf. During the hearing, attorney Ness presented the Judge with the proper ownership documents for the mower, who agreed that his client could not steal something that rightfully belonged to him. The charges were consequently dismissed and he is now eligible to receive an expungement to remove the incident from his record. In the end, the man was relieved to finally have this burden lifted, allowing him to care for his lawn in peace.

The outcome of an individual case depends on a variety of factors unique to that case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any similar or future case.