Being accused of a crime in Missouri and convicted of a crime are two very different things. The first does not necessarily lead to the latter. Often, a conviction depends on the type of criminal defense one is able to present during court proceedings. An experienced attorney is often able to secure a positive outcome for a defendant.
An incident occurred in Southwest Missouri that resulted in two men being formally charged with theft. Apparently, authorities claim the men broke into a small police department. It is alleged that they stole various pieces of law enforcement gear and also several firearms.
The circumstances surrounding that particular police department were rather unique. It appears that at the time there were no police officers stationed at the Sparta police station because every policeman in town had resigned. Therefore, the building was not staffed.
Prosecutors filed the charges against the two men on a recent Wednesday. They will be defending themselves against three counts of theft and first-degree burglary charges. Rifles, ammunition, uniforms and bullet proof vests were among the items the men supposedly stole from the facility.
When more than one person is accused of the same crime, each is entitled to individual criminal defense assistance. One person’s outcome is not necessarily going to be the same as the other in such situations. An attorney would typically review the options available and offer suggestions to a defendant about how best to proceed to minimize the negative impact the charges might have on his or her future.
Source: Washington Times, “2 charged with theft from small Missouri police department“, June 2, 2016