Can I Be Accused of Stealing Property I Own Jointly With My Spouse?
Seasoned criminal defense attorneys in Baltimore, Attorney Eric T. Kirk MD have long taken advantage of statutory defenses to gain favorable verdicts for their clients.
Indeed, an attorney who does not explore defense, statutory or otherwise, is doing a disservice to the client. It is a defense to a theft charge that the defendant honestly, and in good faith believed they had the right to possess the property of another. Knowledgeable criminal defense attorneys also recognize a defense where the property allegedly stolen belonged to one’s spouse- unless those individuals are separated. If one has an ownership interest in the property and is entitled to possession one cannot steal it. The same logic should apply to jointly held property outside the bounds of matrimony.
