Property Crimes

Criminal Lawyers Defending Theft Charges

At the Monckton, Hembree & Humphries Law property crime Firm, P.A., in Myrtle Beach, our criminal defense lawyers represent people facing felony or misdemeanor charges of theft, burglary, grand larceny or other property crimes.

We represent adult and juvenile clients on a wide range of charges related to theft or destruction of property. Our goal in all cases is to minimize your exposure to punishment. Depending on your prior criminal record, we can often plead cases down to misdemeanors and completely avoid the risk of jail time. Even in felony cases, we can often achieve sentences of probation or community service that might lead to an eventual expunged record of your conviction.

Examples of the kinds of property crimes we handle include the following:

• Misdemeanor and felony theft charges ranging from a college student's spring break "dine-and-dash" case to serious embezzlement or workplace theft cases
• Burglary
• Grand larceny of a car or motorcycle
• Shoplifting
• Property damage cases ranging from graffiti or vandalism to arson

When we defend clients accused of theft or property damage offenses, our approach to resolution of the charges seeks not only to minimize your exposure to punishment but also to help make sure that the practical consequences of an arrest and conviction won't follow you around any longer than necessary.

If you're a college or university student, we can protect you from academic discipline as well as criminal prosecution and punishment. If you were arrested while visiting from out of state, we can usually arrange for you to carry out a community service sentence close to your own home. For any client, we carefully evaluate plea offers to make sure that they won't cause you unanticipated complications later on.

If you have a solid defense on the merits, however, we will work energetically toward the dismissal of the charges, and whenever necessary, we will present your defense to a jury at trial.

Each of our lawyers has more than 16 years of trial experience, and we know how to present a good defense in clear and persuasive terms.

To learn more about your legal alternatives in the face of South Carolina theft charges, contact us today for a free consultation.