45+ Years
Of Combined Experience
Allegations of theft are very common in Seattle and throughout Washington state. Theft allegations can include anything from shoplifting, to identity theft, to being accused of embezzling millions from an employer. Whatever the specific charge may be, it is considered a “crime of dishonesty” that can have a lasting negative effect on your record.
There has also been a lot of pressure on prosecutors in recent years to treat so-called “white collar crimes” more aggressively and seek longer jail/prison sentences, especially when dealing with high dollar amounts and/or vulnerable victims. Because of this, theft cases must be handled carefully by an experienced law firm to ensure you are getting the best possible outcome.
Below, you’ll find answers to many common questions related to domestic violence allegations, but the best way to make sure your individual questions are answered is to simply give us a call for a free, no strings attached consultation.
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:
We explain some of these these potential outcomes in a little more detail further down the page, but it’s best to simply call us for a full explanation of what these outcomes mean and how we can achieve them.
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:
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.
We handle any and all types of theft charges in both state and federal court. Here’s a quick list of some of the most common that we see. If you don’t see the charge you have been accused of below, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Just give us a call.
One of the most common white collar crimes that we see is what is referred to as “Embezzlement.” This typically comes in the form of an employee allegedly stealing from his/her employer in some way, whether it involves writing checks to oneself or some other more complex scheme. You should contact us the second that your employer questions you about an accounting discrepancy or otherwise hints there is any concern whatsoever. If we intervene early, we can sometimes work out an out-of-court settlement that avoids any felony or misdemeanor prosecution. Embezzlement offenses can often become complicated matters involving mountains of documents and evidence. An arrest or conviction for embezzlement and other white collar crimes can also lead to swift and overwhelming consequences including seizure of bank accounts, forfeiture of your home, and the stripping of professional licenses/accreditation. If you are being investigated for a White Collar crime at the state or federal level, the sooner you get a qualified attorney on your side to protect your rights, the better. Court & Michelle are experienced and skilled at handling these complex and sensitive matters, and are always just a phone call away.
The answer to this varies depending on your particular situation, but there are three universal pieces of advice:
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.
The ‘standard’ theft charges are Theft 1 and Theft 2. However, there are also a number of theft-related felony charges you could be facing, such as receiving stolen property, trafficking in stolen property, Theft of a motor vehicle, etc.
Theft 1 involves allegations of sums over $5000, whereas Theft 2 is between $750 – $5000. We see these cases in many different forms, including what are commonly referred to as embezzlement cases. Overall, there are four main different ways to resolve a Felony theft case:
An expedited felony is the term used when a county prosecutor’s office believes they have enough evidence to charge you with a felony theft crime in Superior court, but instead charge you in District Court where misdemeanors are handled.
The decision to do this is typically made based on two primary factors:
Once in District Court, you have two general options: (1) plead guilty to a misdemeanor, or (2) reject the misdemeanor deal. If you choose the latter, the case will be dismissed at the District Court level and then refiled as a felony in Superior Court. You would then be re-arraigned on the felony and start fighting the case again from there.
If you instead choose to stay in district court, we can work to negotiate the terms of any misdemeanor plea to ensure you are getting the best possible resolution. We will also always look at the possibilities of a dismissal or some other misdemeanor resolution as described below, but prosecutors can be extremely reluctant to offer any alternative resolution on expedited felony matters. Because of this, while rare, in certain circumstances you can even be better off having the case transfer to Superior Court to get the best resolution.
There are some notable differences in potential resolutions of misdemeanor theft cases vs. felony theft cases. For misdemeanor thefts, there are three main ways to resolve your case:
(1) Pre-Trial dismissal;
(2) Guilty Plea or
(3) Trial, which can result in a ‘Not Guilty’ verdict or a ‘Guilty’ verdict.
Each of the above resolutions are explained in detail below.
A Pre-Trial dismissal can come about in three different ways:
While usually very difficult to achieve, an outright dismissal is the best possible resolution in that it makes the entire case go away without having to wait for months or years on end and/or jump through a bunch of hoops as you must do with other forms of dismissal. It also avoids the risk associated with trial.
An outright dismissal can come about one of two ways. Either through convincing the prosecutor to drop the case based on a lack of evidence and/or the presentation of other compelling mitigation, or through filing and winning a pre-trial motion to dismiss the case. Whether we file such a motion, and its chance of success, varies from case to case.
A Stipulated Order of Continuance (SOC) is essentially like a contract you enter into with the city or state prosecuting agency. If you hold up your end of the bargain, they will agree to dismiss your case your case after a set period of time. The length of an SOC can vary from 6-months on the low end to 24 months on the high end. During the period of the SOC, there are often a number of hoops you will need to jump through. These could include:
If you are accused of misdemeanor theft, you (through your attorney) can pay restitution directly to the victim and they can in turn tell the judge that they have been paid in full and they don’t mind if the case is dismissed. The judge then has the authority to dismiss the case entirely, even if the prosecutor objects.
In cases where this is an option, the approach to the victim must be handled very delicately and you NEVER should try to handle something like this yourself as (1) you would likely be in violation of a No Contact Order, and (2) it could easily be construed as an attempt at witness intimidation or bribery.
A guilty plea will either result in a deferred sentence or a suspended sentence.
A deferred sentence is where you enter a plea of guilty, but the sentence itself is deferred for a specified period of time (typically between 1-2 years). During this time, you have a conviction on your record. However, the benefit to a deferred sentence is that at the end of the deferral period, we file a motion and order to have your guilty plea withdrawn, changed back to a not guilty plea, and have the case dismissed and vacated off your record. Moving forward, assuming you have no other convictions, you can legally say you have never been convicted of a crime.
A suspended sentence is the most common form of conviction in Washington State. This is when the judge imposes a particular sentence, such as 364 days of jail, but then suspends either all or part of it, meaning you do not have to serve it. You are then typically either placed on informal or formal probation for a period of time (often 12-24 months). Finally, after your case is all said and done and a few years have gone by with no other criminal law violations, you can file a motion to vacate your conviction.
Unless there is a mistrial declared, trials end in one of two ways: a ’Not Guilty’ verdict or a ‘Guilty’ verdict.
As soon as a not guilty verdict is announced, the case is over and you walk away with nothing on your record. It’s the same effect as a pre-trial dismissal ‘with prejudice,’ meaning you can never be tried again for the same charge.
After a guilty verdict, there will be a sentencing hearing where the judge will typically order a suspended sentence. However, a deferred sentence can still be argued for.
EXCELLENT Based on 110 reviews Oscar RapaloApril 23, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Kevin WinterApril 9, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Court and Michelle Will are a stellar legal team. Excellent communication, detailed and thorough through all phases of the process, and most importantly they are highly skilled and VERY experienced at trial (many attorneys do not have trial experience). Hire with confidence.Hailey DockeryApril 7, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Tom BrayMarch 31, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Will & Will, PLLC is a husband & wife & assistant law firm. I first contacted them and talked to Court who answered all my questions and was very helpful over the phone. I retained them to represent my case and immediately they were working it. I received paper work within the first few days to fill out pertaining to my case. Michelle was my lawyer and she kept me well informed of everything that was going on and available if I had any questions. There assistant Margarita was keeping me up to date and made sure I knew totally what was going on and answered any questions I might have had. She even contacted me on a SATURDAY and SUNDAY. I was very satisfied with the team of Will & Will, PLLC and would highly recommend them. They got me the best possible outcome for my case. TomJohn WinterMarch 29, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I have never seen an attorney perform so well during a trial in my life, after having serving on 5 juries over the course of 20 years. My son was falsely accused of domestic violence and felony assault by his former girlfriend and was acquitted on all counts thanks to a masterful performance by Court Will in the courtroom over the course of a 3-day trial In King Superior Court Seattle. Court was completely prepared, extremely organized and in control of all the facts and details of the case and the law, yet adapted instantly, nimbly, brilliantly and effectively to the unpredictable changing nature of the trial and testimony as the case progressed. He had a commanding and confident presence in court room without being intimidating to the jury, who gave him their undivided attention during his witness cross examinations and his extraordinarily persuasive closing argument. Court was able to calmly and methodically destroy the credibility of the untruthful primary prosecution witness in a measured, yet devastating way, and dismantled the evidence presented by the prosecution beyond redemption, resulting in a full acquittal. I cannot recommend Court highly enough to anybody In need of superb, strong, experienced, talented and most importantly, successful, defense in court.Elena KushnerMarch 14, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I’m incredibly grateful for the team at Will & Will, especially Michelle and Court Will, who provided exceptional legal representation over the past four months. Their professionalism and dedication helped me achieve the best possible outcome in my case, despite the challenges caused by my ex-husband’s actions. They also went above and beyond by successfully advocating for a court hearing to be stricken in an ongoing case. While clearing my name came at a cost, it was absolutely worth it. I highly recommend Will & Will Law Firm to anyone in need of top-tier criminal defense attorneys—you won’t regret it! A special thank you to Margarita for always being so kind and helpful on the phone!Clarissa LeomitiMarch 13, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Michell Will is very Professional and an expertise to ensuring my husband’s case was resolve in a very timely matter. Communications and ensuring our needs were fulfilled and situated. A highly recommended attorney.serah kendiJanuary 25, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. From the first inquiry, the response was very prompt and straight forward. Working with Michelle and Margarita has been a great experience. Margarita was always sweet and pleasant to talk to. I would highly recommend their professional services to anyone who wants to see a great outcome. Thank you for everything and will definitely recommend to anyone I know that needs your services.Antonio DaileyJanuary 17, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had a case recently: I won’t get too specific. Although, what I can say is that at this establishment, everyone actually cares. Though in moments of “client anxiety”, all matters rest assured, are steadily being assessed with the outmost organization concerning you. Court was great at breaking information down so you won’t have to ask to many questions while keeping perfect composure. His insight inside the court room and out were a great help. Margarita was beyond excellent at staying in touch and being a buffer between you and your attorney. If not for her, our heads would’ve been spinning in every direction with no clear indications. All in all. This is a reliable firm. We won!!! Thank you’ God Bless you all!AntonioJanuary 16, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. ABSOLUTELY THE BEST CHOICE I COULD HAVE EVER MADE FOR REPRESENTATION HANDS DOWN... Court was a true professional. He will get you the best outcome possible. He keeps you informed on any updates regarding your case and let's you know the real possible outcomes you can expect.. And when you call their office Margarita answers the phone with the most upbeat and helpful attitude ever!!! As many times as I would call she would never act like I was bothering her even when I kept calling with a thousand questions.. If you want GREAT REPRESENTATION AND TRUE PROFESSIONALS USE WILL&WILL ALONG WITH MARGARITA THIS IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR YOU..
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