Clik here to view.
Shoplifting in Washington, D.C.
In 2001, the actress Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting $5,500 worth of goods from a store in Beverly Hills. As captured on the store’s surveillance tape, Ms. Ryder went into a Saks Fifth...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle in D.C.: Man Masquerades as Metro Bus Driver
According to the Washington Post, a 19-year-old man wearing a Metro bus driver’s uniform walked into the Bladensburg bus garage, got into a bus, and drove away. But instead of making off with the bus,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Embezzlement and Larceny By False Pretenses: Why I Love the Theft Crimes...
How can you not love the theft crimes in Virginia? While most jurisdictions have combined theft offenses into a single catch-all category, Virginia continues to maintain the common law distinctions...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Extortion in D.C. and Virginia: An Endangered Criminal Offense?
Extortion is one of my favorite crimes, a fact which, I have to admit, is usually not much consolation to the person who gets me on the phone worried that he/she may be charged with it. At the same...
View ArticleTakoma Park Bank Robber Identified
Police have released the name of the man who was shot on Friday after he robbed a bank in Takoma Park, Maryland and then tried to escape with a bank teller as his hostage. The man has been identified...
View ArticleA Very Polite Robber
Mark Pryor of D.A. Confidential says he must have been the last person in the world to have seen this video on YouTube. He’d better make that second-to-last person. I hadn’t seen it either.
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Petty Thefts and Grievances: Why My Faith In Humanity Has Been Destroyed
Reason #1: It’s Thursday, and we are expecting a big rainstorm. I remember to bring my umbrella – a very distinctive umbrella with blue and white stripes – and I leave it in plain view in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Owens v. United States: The Standard for Defining State-of-Mind in an RSP...
In law school, we learned the difference between a subjective standard in defining a mental state and an objective one. The subjective standard focuses on the defendant’s actual state of mind. With the...
View ArticleWhy am I charged with Theft II when I was arrested for shoplifting?
People who are arrested for shoplifting in Washington, D.C. are often surprised to find themselves charged with “theft II” when they show up for court.
View ArticleWill I go to jail for shoplifting in D.C.?
It is extremely unlikely that anyone but the most habitual offender will serve jail time for shoplifting in D.C. This is particularly true during the Covid-19 pandemic. The post Will I go to jail for...
View Article
