What do you do if you or a loved one has been arrested for a theft? Because of the substantial consequences in any theft case, your first step is to contact trusted and experienced Los Angeles Theft Attorney Gregory Caplan to determine if your case may qualify for an early intervention option, such as APPS.
Court alternatives are generally considered at the filing stage, as Mr. Caplan explains in this video, at Los Angeles Theft Attorney.
Mr. Caplan focuses substantial efforts on first-time shoplifting and petty theft cases, and makes extraordinary efforts to steer clients cases away from the courtroom, and into programs such as "City Attorney Diversion" and Alternative Prosecution Program (APPS), where people can earn dismissals of their charges.
You can read about more than 15 recent creative theft case resolutions, here, on his Case Results Page, and see what his clients have to say about his substantial efforts on their behalf, below:
• Insiderpages.com Client Review
• Yelp Client Review
• Avvo.com Client Reviews
Contact Los Angeles Theft Defense Lawyer Gregory Caplan, today, and find out what theft case strategies would be effective for you at 213-400-5355.
LOS ANGELES THEFT CASES
Some of the most frequently occurring types of theft cases in Los Angeles are:
Under law, theft is the unlawful taking of someone else's property with the intent of keeping it permanently. Embezzlement and larceny also fall into the category of theft. Theft crimes are divided into two categories based upon the amount of money or value of the property stolen:
Grand theft in California is generally theft in an amount of more than $400. However, because of recent legislative changes in California theft law, depending on the specific character of the item taken, a grand theft of $950 or less, in most cases, may now only be charged as a misdemeanor. A theft above the $950 amount may be filed as either a misdemeanor or felony, depending on a person's criminal history, circumstances of the case, as well as prosecuting agencies internal filing policies If convicted of grand theft, a person can face up to three years in state prison. If the amount of theft is over $50,000, a person faces enhancements of one to two additional years in prison. These factors make it especially important to have a Los Angeles Theft Lawyer.
A Petty theft is theft in an amount of $400 or less. If a person has no criminal history, a Los Angeles petty theft is charged as a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor petty theft conviction can result in six months jail time and fines of $1,000 plus penalty assessment and fees. Under recent California law, if a person has been convicted of three prior petty theft violations, and is charged with a fourth violation, the fourth violation can be charged as a felony.
Many prosecuting agencies in Los Angeles County offer a first-time offender program for shoplifting cases if a person has no previous record and if the value is less than $100. These programs are not highly publicized, and many of these options must be requested immediately after a person is arrested, prior to a case being filed in court.
If a case has been filed in court, some prosecuting agencies may be willing to offer an infraction theft charge, Penal Code section 490.1, if the item taken was valued at $50 or less. An infraction conviction may still present problems to a person in the future, so it is important that anyone accused of theft be represented in court.
Burglary is often charged in Shoplifting and Petty Theft-related cases. Burglary is when a person enters any structure, including a store, intending to steal. There is no minimum dollar amount required for this type of violation, and law enforcement officers are authorized to make felony arrests in burglary cases. While burglary arrests are initiated at felony level, an effective theft attorney will request the District Attorney or City Prosecutor to consider less-serious misdemeanors or other alternatives. Because these charges can be filed as either felonies or misdemeanors, it is extremely important to have representation if you or a loved one is arrested for this violation.
LOS ANGELES THEFT ATTORNEY
If you have been accused of theft, you need the trusted and experienced Los Angeles Theft Attorney who understands effective and innovative approaches. The attorney who emphasizes creative resolutions for his clients in theft cases. The attorney who provides personal attention for his clients. That attorney is Gregory Caplan.
Los Angeles Theft Attorney Gregory Caplan understands how a theft case, such as shoplifting, can have long-term consequences, such as a bar to future employment, and significant negative immigration consequences for non-citizens. He works tirelessly for clients with theft cases, focusing on all available alternatives.
Contact him, now, at 213-400-5355, to find out about available strategies for your Los Angeles theft case. You can learn more about Mr. Caplan's approaches, here, at San Fernando Valley Theft Attorney.