From time to time everyone suffers from a lapse in judgment. When these mistakes lead to criminal charges, they can have a long lasting effect on people's lives. For example, in Oregon even with misdemeanor charges people can be sentenced to over $6,000 in fines and spend up to a year in jail. With serious consequences like these, people should understand what they have been charged with and how to defend against the charges.
A former OSU football player is likely preparing to defend against misdemeanor theft charges after he pleaded not guilty to first-degree burglary, third-degree robbery, first-degree theft by receiving and second-degree theft.
According to police, the 24-year-old man had been in a local store when employees had noticed him in the store and thought he was someone who had previously shopped lifted. As the man tried to leave the store, police say that employees stopped him and asked him to see the receipt for several DVDs he had. When the man could not show a receipt, employees tried to apprehend him. However, the man fled after trying to hit an employee.
A short while after the incident, police stopped the man in his car. Police say they got a description of the vehicle from the store employees. The man was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting. Following an investigation, the man was linked to several other area thefts.
In this case, the man has decided to take the case to trial by pleading not guilty to the charges. This means he is forcing the prosecutors to prove that he actually stole the goods from the stores. Like in any case, the burden is always on the prosecutor to prove that a person is guilty of a misdemeanor. The person accused is always supposed to be treated as innocent until they are proven guilty.
Source: Corvallis Gazette-Times, "Former OSU football player faces multiple theft charges," Canda Fuqua, April 10, 2013
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