Many people are not clear on what a joyriding offense actually consists of and what potential penalties exist. Anytime someone uses an individual’s car without their permission and that results in their being deprived of the benefit or the use of a car and the car is worth at least $100, that will be considered joyriding. Joyriding is considered a theft offense because an individual is taking someone else’s property without their permission, and is prosecuted as such. By reading about examples of joyriding offenses in West Palm Beach, you can educate yourself on what constitutes a joyriding offense. If you have been charged, or wish to know more about different examples of joyriding, seek the legal counsel of a knowledgeable joyriding lawyer today.
Examples of Joyriding Offenses
Examples of joyriding offenses in West Palm Beach can include someone leaving their keys in the car or someone finding a set of keys to the car and taking the car from a person’s home or driveway without the owner’s prior permission with the intent to drive it around and not keep it.
It could be a scenario where a person saw the keys in the car, got in the car, started it up, and drove away and drove around for an hour or two and then parked it on the other side of town where the key is stolen and they just took the car for a ride and the car was left undamaged in any way.
Valets
Another example of joyriding would be if an individual valet parks their car. The person or customer is giving them ( valet ) permission or they are giving them custody of their car, but they are giving them the custody of their car for the only purpose of parking it and safekeeping it while the customer is in the particular establishment or venue.
If that person or customer then goes and sees, when they get their back, that it now has an extra 100 miles on it more than when they left it and they know that someone used their car without their permission and, during the time they used it, they deprived them from the benefit or use of it.
Failure to Return a Leased Vehicle
When an individual leases a vehicle, they are renting it for a certain period of time and they are paying for it for a certain amount of time. When the person does not return it on time and they are not continuing to pay for it, that is evidence of their intent to keep it, evidence of their intent to either temporarily or permanently deprive the rightful owner of that vehicle from use or benefit of that vehicle.
If someone rented the car for a week from Hertz and did not return it on time, they will try and call them a couple of times but after several days or a week goes by and they do not have any additional money or they do not have any contact or the car, they can then report the car was stolen. Failure to return a leased vehicle is more like a theft than a joyride.
Role of a Joyriding Lawyer
The role of a joyriding lawyer is to make sure that you are not wrongfully charged or convicted. Your lawyer can build your case by looking at the examples of joyriding offenses in West Palm Beach and examining your case to see whether the same evidence and elements in your case, match up with the offenses. If there is sufficient evidence to sustain a charge of joyriding or theft, your lawyer can attempt to have the consequences kept to a minimum. Contact a lawyer today and get your defense started.
