Theft
Is it legal for a department store to order me to empty the contents of my purse if they suspect me of stealing? PC 484
The answer is YES. If you decide to shop in a department store and the store security personnel believe you have stolen an item from their store they have the right to stop and detain you when you attempt to leave the store. At the time they stop you they often will have you go into a private room where you will be questioned. If security officers believe that you…
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Man Posts Evidence of His Parole Violation on Facebook
As any good criminal defense attorney can tell you, it doesn't take much to get arrested for a parole violation. So if you are going to commit a crime while on parole, no matter how petty it may seem, don't post the evidence on your girlfriend's Facebook page. Once again, the social media website has led to the downfall of a not so clever criminal – this time in Florida.…
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Airport Employees Charged With Stealing Items from Luggage
Sadly, when we check a bag at the airport, it doesn't travel down a magical web of conveyor belts straight to our airplane. Several sets of hands from checkers to baggage handlers all have a turn taking care of your luggage. Unfortunately, this makes your luggage a target for theft, and two airport employees have been charged with stealing several items from traveler's bags. The arrests happened at Logan International…
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Important Appeals Ruling Could Effect Thousands of Grand Theft Cases Nationwide
If you are accused of grand theft person you are facing much more serious punishment than someone who is facing petty theft charges. The difference is tremendous. With a conviction for grand theft person you can be found guilty of a felony and serve up to 3 years in custody. A conviction for petty theft carries with it a maximum penalty of six months in custody and is a misdemeanor…
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Two Women Charged with Stealing Nearly $300k From Local Law Firm
On Monday, in Westminster, two young females were charged with grand theft after stealing more than $285,000 from a Newport Beach law firm. Apparently the two roommates recently used the money to charter a private jet to fly to New York and then party with friends in various hotels in Times Square. Alexa Johzen Polar, 34, and Robin Antonella Pabello, 33, stole a check worth almost $20,000 dollars back in…
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Former Baseball Great Reaches Plea Deal On Charges Of Grand Theft Auto
The legal troubles for former baseball great Lenny Dykstra continue to mount. Dykstra recently reached a deal with prosecutors, pleading no contest Wednesday, to three counts of grand theft auto and filing a false financial statement. Dykstra, a three-time Major League Baseball All-Star, was released pending sentencing Jan. 20, 2012, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said in a statement. The former athlete, faces up to four years in prison.…
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Can I get in Trouble for Keeping Property I find? – California Penal Code 485
If you find something of value under circumstances in which it would have been relatively easy for you to find its true owner (or at least make an honest attempt to find the true owner), keeping it or using it for personal gain without doing so can result in a theft charge. Finding something (such as an engagement ring) in a grocery store, for example, would be a situation in…
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Under California Law, A Person Convicted Of Theft Of A Motor Vehicle May Have Their Driving Privileges Suspended Or Revoked.
According to a recent study, motor vehicle thefts in California occur at a rate of double the national average. Motor vehicle related thefts are one of the most common charges filed against a defendant in California. California Vehicle Code Section 10851, states that "any person who drives or takes a vehicle not his or her own, without the consent of the owner thereof, and with intent either to permanently or…
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2011 California Grand Theft Limits
Assmebly Bill 2372 Penal Code Section 487 amended This law changes the threshold from $400 to $950 to charge the crime of grand theft for stealing money, labor, real or personal property. "Existing law generally provides that grand theft is theft when the money, labor, or real or personal property taken is of a value exceeding $400. This law increases the value threshold for committing grand theft from $400 to…
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Actress Lindsey Lohan Has A Couple Of Weeks To Decide Whether Or Not She Will Accept A Plea Deal In Her Felony Theft Case
Actress and veteran of the Los Angeles County Criminal system Lindsey Lohan appeared in front of a Judge on Thursday. Lohan is charged with Felony Grand Theft for allegedly stealing necklace from a Los Angeles area jewelry store. The necklace is valued at $2500. In California, grand theft is codified under California Penal Code Section 487, which defines grand theft as "the unlawful taking of another's property valued above $950."…
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