Not everyone who is charged with theft is actually guilty of the offense. Law enforcement in California aggressively pursues theft charges and sometimes people are falsely accused of committing theft. Theft convictions can result in many challenges including those that affect a person's education and employment. In these situations, it can be essential to speak with an experienced theft crime attorney who can help to have your case either dismissed or your charges reduced.
In 2014, the California legislature passed Proposition 47, which reclassified a large number of felony offenses into misdemeanors. As a result, people who have been charged with felony offenses are often able to have their charges reduced. Speaking with an experienced attorney is the best way to determine if this option is available to you.
There are a number of theft related offenses with which a person in California can be charged, but some of the most common offenses include the following:
In the state of California, breaking into a locked vehicle with the purpose of stealing the automobile is classified as auto burglary.
A person faces a burglary charge if he or she enters a structure with the intent to commit a felony or theft inside. If the structure in question is someone's home, a person is at risk of being charged with residential burglary.
If a person uses either force or threats to take a vehicle from another person's possession, that person can face carjacking charges.
An individual who misappropriates or steals property that is entrusted to him or her can end up facing embezzlement charges.
This offense includes stealing property that is worth more than $955 and can be prosecuted as either a felony or misdemeanor. In the state of California, any theft of a firearm and theft of any vehicle over $950 is grand theft.
Theft of mail in the United States is classified as a federal offense and occurs when an individual takes any mail that does not belong to him or her from a letter carrier, mailbox, or post office.
In accordance with California Penal Code, petty theft includes stealing property that is valued up to $950. Although these offenses are classified as misdemeanors, second offenses can be classified as felonies.
An individual in California is considered to have committed robbery if he or she uses force, threats, or violence to take property from the immediate possession of another person.
Entering a commercial establishment while open with the intent to commit petty theft inside the location is classified as shoplifting.