Seattle Criminal Defense Attorneys

You’ve been accused of Looting. Now what?

Mr. Will is a superb attorney. He handled my case swiftly and efficiently. I would recommend Mr. Will and his legal team to any one who needs a GOOD, HONEST, and a HARD-WORKING attorney who is there for them in their time of legal need. Thank You Court Will!

Fantastic communication, representation, and all around service. Helped my son out of a bad situation. Legal skills and knowledge of the situation was impressive. Always felt at ease and comforted knowing we had Will & Will on our side.

Michelle represented me and my significant others in our case and she went above and beyond to ensure we were happy and won our case. She fought for us and believed in us though it all - her husband Court even showed up in support as well. Although this was my first/last experience with needing services like this, I can say that I'll refer the Will's to any/all friend or family members in WA state in the future if needed. Thank you Michelle, you guys truly are the best!

Excellent does not begin to describe the representation our family received from Court Will of Will & Will. He provided not only expert legal representation but reassurance that was appropriate without overpromising on results. In fact, he always exceeded the top range of his projected outcome. He was professional and communicated with us on all developments as they occurred. We definitely recommend you retain his or his firm's services as you will receive outstanding service and the best possible results.

Just had a free consultation with Mr. Will, and he was fantastically helpful despite my case not being in his area of practice(criminal defense). His website provides a wealth of helpful information as well. I hope I never have to use his services, but I'd feel quite confident in them if I did.

Rarely are you in need of a good lawyer when your life is happy and trouble free. More likely you find yourself in a bind or some type of trouble, like I was in when when I got lucky. Will & Will helped get me out of jail and defended me to the bitter end. I couldn't ask for a better outcome or experience. If it's as difficult to find a great lawyer as it is a descent mechanic or barber, then I got extremely lucky to find my lawyer that I will call any and every time I need legal assistance.

Accused of looting? We can help.

The nationwide and local protesting in the wake of the death of George Floyd and others has been largely very peaceful and productive. However, this has not stopped the police from pursuing suspects they believe engaged in “looting” during these protests.

For instance, in October of 2020, the Bellevue police department referred 70 cases to the prosecutor’s office for filing of various charges, including Burglary, Theft, Malicious Mischief (which is essentially vandalism/property damage), and possession of stolen property, among other potential charges.

Many of these charges can be filed as felonies. This is why it’s important to have a strong and experienced defense team by your side to protect your rights in a prosecution of this nature.

Common Looting Crimes Questions

What charges could I be facing for looting?

The most common charges we see for looting are:

Burglary
Theft
Malicious Mischief (property damage/vandalism)
Possession of Stolen Property

The charge of Burglary is always a felony. The other charges can be either a felony or a misdemeanor.

What are the different degrees and punishments for theft?

What is Malicious Mischief?

Malicious mischief is essentially property damage/vandalism. There are three degrees of seriousness:

First Degree – Class B Felony
Second Degree – Class C Felony
Third Degree – Gross Misdemeanor

In the context of looting, the degree that you are facing typically comes down to the dollar amount of alleged damage caused.

Over $5,000 – First degree
$750 – $5,000 – Second Degree
Under $750 – Gross Misdemeanor

Why would I be facing a burglary charge?

If your are charged with burglary, you are being accused of entering a building with the intent to commit a crime once inside.

In the context of looting, the allegation would be that you entered a store with the plan to steal merchandise inside.

Interestingly, in many looting cases, the state can have a tough time proving that you actually went inside the store.

What are some of the potential results I can expect?

Because every case has its own unique set of facts and circumstances, it’s not possible for us to tell you what result you will get on your particular case until we have had a chance to fully litigate it. That said, here are some potential results, all of which we have achieved for our clients:

Compromise of Misdemeanor
Dismissal of charges in pre-trial stage for legal/factual reasons
Stipulated Order of Continuance
Deferred Sentence
Reduction of charges
Reduction of penalties
Not guilty verdict after trial

I’m currently under investigation for looting, what should I do?

The answer to this varies depending on your particular situation, but there are three universal pieces of advice:

Do NOT talk to the police
Do NOT talk to anyone else about the situation either as you run the risk of creating witnesses for the government
Consult with an Attorney

From there, we need to hear more about your individual situation to advise your further. In the meantime, please view our video below on the subject and visit our Under Investigation page.

What potential consequences am I looking at from the court if I’m convicted?

There is a wide variety of potential outcomes, so we don’t want you to get ahead of yourself with worrying about every single potential consequence, but because we know this is often a burning question, here are a few:

Jail/Prison
Fines/Restitution
Work Release
Community Service
Electronic Home Monitoring
Community Custody/Probation

How else could a theft conviction affect my future?

Theft is considered to be a “crime of dishonesty.” Thus, a conviction can lead to collateral consequences such as loss of current employment, reduced future job prospects, immigration concerns, and even denials of housing applications.

Great lawyer, those who hire Court Will as their lawyer will are lucky. A friend of mine had, who was charged and was very sad that what will happen to him. He hired Mr. Will and won the case and got it dismissed. This law firm is really fighting for you. I can say that my friend was a lucky person that he had lawyer like Court Will.

Court Will took care of my case very well. He was able to get my case dismissed. I am forever grateful for everything that he have done for me. I highly recommend him to everyone that needs somebody to represent them in court.

I would definitely recommend Mr. Will to anyone who is looking for a defense lawyer. Mr. Will is passionate about his job, he listens to your concerns and answers all of your questions-even if you ask the same questions he does not hesitate to answer them again.

Mr. Court Will is a superb/excellent attorney. He handled my case swiftly and efficiently. He worked with me in regards to payments for his services. He took my case in such a short notice and it had an outstanding outcome. He had all my charges dismissed, and dropped. He is not only personable, but very professional.

I was charged with a felony sex crime. Due to a number of reasons, I didn't want to go to trial, and Mr. Will respected that. Mr. Will went to court for me more times than I can count, did some additional investigation and ultimately told me that I could plead guilty to a lesser offense and get probation and house arrest.

Seattle Criminal Defense Attorneys

You’ve been accused of Looting. Now what?

Accused of looting? We can help.

Common Looting Crimes Questions

Protect yourself with a looting crimes criminal defense lawyer.

We Can Help

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