A Utah Wrongful Appropriation Attorney at Salcido Law Firm can take your defense when you have been accused of a theft related crime in Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, or St. George. A Wrongful Appropriation charge may result if you have been accused of temporarily taking someone else’s property without their consent. You may also be charged with this crime if you temporarily take control of another’s property without their consent. This is different than most other theft related charges because the taking is considered temporary as opposed to taking property for the purpose of forever depriving the other party, which is just typical theft. One of the key things to remember about this charge is that a person’s prior consent or authority for you to temporarily take or control their property is not a defense. In other words, simply because a person gave you permission to use their property at one point in the past does not necessarily mean you did not wrongfully appropriate that property at later time. Wrongful Appropriation may result in a third degree felony, Class A misdemeanor, or Class B misdemeanor depending on the circumstances. To find out more information about the Theft Laws in Utah on this subject and to speak with a Salt Lake City Criminal Defense Lawyer, call or email us today.
Theft v. Wrongful Appropriation
Theft charges in Utah are much more common than wrongful appropriation because, as you might imagine, when someone has wrongfully taken another’s property, they usually have no intention of returning it. You may think of Wrongful Appropriation as renting property when you were never authorized to do so. Because of the nature of this charge, we see many cases where the accused defendant has logical excuses or good defenses to justify their reason for temporarily taking the property. If you or someone you know has been charged with Wrongful Appropriation in Utah, get in touch with a Provo Theft Defense Attorney at our law firm now so we can review the facts and bring you piece of mind. Mistakes do happen and most people don’t deserve to have the book thrown at them for a simple mistake with no significant harm.
Wrongful Appropriation and Restitution
Restitution amounts in Wrongful Appropriation cases can vary but generally speaking are usually not excessive because often the only damage the property owner incurred was a temporary deprivation of their property no permanent damage. Restitution is a court order to pay an alleged victim monetary damages to make them whole. While many people think damages are only awarded in civil actions, they are wrong; restitution is often part of a plea agreement. If you are worried about restitution and other matters and are facing a Wrongful Appropriation Charge in Utah, contact us immediately, anytime day or night, to get an advocate on your side.
