DC Joyriding Lawyer

Joyriding occurs when someone drives another person’s vehicle without their permission and they are aware that they do not have the owner’s permission. Even though no theft or violence is involved, joyriding is still considered a criminal offense. A DC joyriding lawyer can help explain the charges to someone and, in learning about the incident from their perspective, is in a good position to help develop defenses to fight the charge.

Prosecution of Cases

The government is required to prove that the defendant operated a motor vehicle without the owner’s permission for their own use or purpose. Additionally, the government must show that the defendant operated the vehicle knowing that they did so without the owner’s permission.

The government must introduce some evidence showing that the owner told the person that they were not allowed to drive the car or that the person acted or behaved in such a way to indicate they knew they did not have permission. In turn, a DC joyriding lawyer will submit evidence and arguments to throw reasonable doubt on these allegations by the government.

Furtive movements or speeding away from the owner or police officers could be considered circumstantial evidence showing that the individual knew they did not have the owner’s permission to operate the car.

Examples of Joyriding Scenarios

Another example of a joyriding scenario occurs when a teenager knows they do not have their parents’ consent to drive their car and drives their car when the parents are out of town. This is not a theft because the teenager does not intend to deprive the parents of their car. However, it is still an unauthorized use of the motor vehicle, which makes it a crime.

Another example of joyriding is when a valet at a restaurant takes the customer’s car out for a drive while the customer is inside the restaurant. In this scenario, the customer gave the valet permission to drive their car, but only for the purpose of parking the car for the customer’s own benefit. It is considered joyriding if the valet, instead of parking the car, takes a customer’s car out for a ride for the valet’s own use or purpose.

Failure to Return a Leased Vehicle

Similar to joyriding, failing to return a leased vehicle can lead to criminal charges for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. If a person fails to return the leased vehicle to the specified place at the specified time within 18 days after the leasing party sent a letter demanding the return of the vehicle, that person could be charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Failing to return a leased vehicle can also be a scenario that is considered to be joyriding since there is no intention to steal the vehicle, but it is an unauthorized use of the vehicle because the person who formerly leased the car no longer has permission to use the vehicle.

Benefits of Lawyer

The DC joyriding lawyer keeps someone apprised of developments in their case and is their advocate when discussing potential resolutions and plea agreements with the prosecutor. The lawyer develops defenses to help fight the case during trial and negotiations with the government.