Q: Can I be convicted of theft if cameras found me in the vicinity but didn't capture it happening?
Hello, there have been a string of petty thefts at my workplace. Some items that have been stolen are apple ear pods, $800, and credit cards. I believe there is footage of me going in and out of the rooms around the time of the thefts. There is no footage of the actual thefts because cameras are only in the hallways and the thefts happened inside rooms with closed doors. I am worried that I may be blamed for the thefts. I think I was in the rooms, but only for a few seconds due to getting paperwork and gathering data, but of course a counter argument could be that it only takes seconds to commit a theft. Can I be convicted with this circumstantial evidence?
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A: Simply being inside the room is weak circumstansial evidence, especially if visiting the room was part of your daily job duties. If this is the only single piece of evidence, the case against you would be very weak. On the other hand, if there are other bits of circumstantial evidence, they may be tied together to make a case strong enough to convict. It is important for a lawyer to go through all the evidence piece by piece and perhaps most importantly, go through it with you to gain a full understanding of the situation that is strong enough to advocate for you effectively.
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