Theft charges prompt a need for criminal defense in Illinois

Sometimes packages arriving by delivery are delayed for various reasons. In a recent situation in Illinois, before a recipient took possession of an arriving package, it was stolen from the homeowner’s front porch. Two people were accused of taking the package and are likely now focused on preparing a criminal defense as they face charges for theft.  

The person who owns the home where the delivery was made reportedly had home security surveillance cameras installed. The cameras happened to have been running when the package was taken from the porch. Authorities say they believe the people seen in the film removing the package from the porch are the same two people who have been charged with the theft.  

Police say they apprehended the two suspects after the homeowner shared the surveillance film on Facebook, and it received 20,000 shares. In such situations, prosecutors will have to prove that the people charged with the crime are, in fact, the people shown on film surveillance. Even if a person’s identity is confirmed, prosecutors would still have to prove that the accused actually stole the package in question.  

Just because someone is seen in a video removing a package from a porch does not necessarily mean he or she was stealing it. Each element of the crime charged must be proved in court and beyond a reasonable doubt. The criminal justice system presumes that anyone charged with a crime is innocent, unless Illinois prosecutors can prove their case. A criminal defense attorney is often essential in ensuring that the legal rights of an accused individual are upheld at every stage of the criminal proceedings.