14 CR 6676 Theft
Oct 19, 2015OUTCOME: Not Guilty
Client was employed by a for at least 10 years. He was was paid in cash and/or goods for his services, no paycheck was ever provided to him. He understood better than most that when goods are sold o ... r pawned, a photo ID is produced and recorded with the Chicago Police Department and with the LEADS Online investigation system. All jewelers and pawn shops are required to use this system in their everyday transactions. My client was owed money by the pawn shop he worked for and in exchange for what was owed, he was given two Rolex watches, which is subsequently sold at two different jewelers in the city. These were jewelers that he had done business with in the past and the employees there knew him by name. His employer accused him of stealing these Rolexes and selling them at these jewelry stores. The client was charged with two counts of theft. After the State's Attorney made various offers of probation and restitution in the amount of $10,000.00., he rejected them and demanded a trial. At trial, all evidence was presented, including the fact that the jewelers knew him, he did not appear nervous during the transactions and he presented his driver’s license. I argued, among other things, “my client would have to be incredibly stupid, knowing how the jewelry business functions, to have committed this crime, especially with jewelry establishments that know him by name!” Generally, arguing stupidity is not exactly a valid defense but the judge, in his ruling of NOT GUILTY, specifically stated that the defendant would have had to have been infinitesimally stupid to have committed this crime and did not believe that was possible in this instance.
