Santa Theft Defense Lawyer

Orange County Theft Defense Lawyer

Theft crimes in the state of California can carry very severe penalties depending on the type of theft committed. If the property taken has a high dollar value or if the accused person has any past similar convictions, the crime can be prosecuted as a felony. This could mean a state prison sentence. In order to ensure that you do not face harsher consequences than you deserve, it is important that you enlist the assistance of a Theft Attorney. Christopher McCann can help protect your rights in court and has a proven track record of success.

People convicted of theft crimes in California can face a jail sentence, probation, parole, fines, restitution to victims or court ordered counseling. Using the services of an experienced criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles and Orange Counties can possibly help an accused person avoid conviction, fines or jail time.

Theft crimes under California law include:

  1. Shoplifting or petty theft
  2. Robbery
  3. Burglary
  4. Forgery
  5. Embezzlement
  6. Identity theft
  7. Receipt of stolen property
  8. False pretenses
  9. Larceny
  10. Grand theft
  11. Grand theft auto

Petty theft and grand theft fall into the category of larceny. Larceny is a crime committed to intentionally take away another person’s property without his or her permission and permanently deprive them of the property. Petty theft is the crime of stealing merchandise or property valued under $400.00. Grand theft involves stealing merchandise worth more than $400.00 or stealing more than $400.00 in cash.

In a theft case, the prosecution may have strong evidence against the accused person, but if it is a first offense, a criminal defense lawyer in Santa Ana may be able to get the charges reduced or even dismissed. This helps keep the defendant’s criminal record clean.

Burglary is a theft crime involving entering another person’s residence, business or any other property with the intention of stealing something. First degree burglary is committed when the residence or other property is inhabited. Anything else is considered second degree burglary.

Forgery involves signing a document without the owner’s approval or consent. Most of the time this crime is committed against a person by taking his or her personal checks. Forgery can also include altering a legal document or creating a fake document.

The theft crime of embezzlement includes:

  1. Stealing money directly from an employer,
  2. Writing checks to oneself or another person from an employer’s bank account,
  3. Hiding assets from an employer to defraud them, or
  4. Using an employer’s property or allowing the use of the employer’s property for a purpose other than what it was intended or entrusted.

Examples of identity theft crimes include:

  1. Acquiring another person’s credit card information and using it to access his or her account without their consent,
  2. Getting a person’s private information from the internet and using it to perform fraud,
  3. Opening an account in another person’s name without his or her permission,
  4. Using another person’s social security card, driver’s license or identification card without his or her consent.

Receipt of stolen property involves buying or having property in one’s possession that is stolen. This theft crime can lead to a conviction if the purchaser or possessor knew the property was stolen at the time it was obtained. Depending on the value of the stolen property and the defendant’s criminal record, the conviction could result in just a fine or possibly jail time for up to one year. Orange County Criminal Defense Lawyer Chris McCann could argue that the defendant honestly did not believe the property was stolen when he or she took possession of it.

Anyone accused of theft crimes in the state of California should consider using the services of attorney Christopher McCann to achieve the best possible outcome in his or her case. Attempting to handle court appearances on their own is not the best route to take. A criminal defense lawyer in Santa Ana can question whether the evidence in the case points only to the accused person or show that there is reasonable doubt because another person could represent themselves as the accused person while committing the crime. The lawyer could also attempt to get a plea deal in return for reducing or dropping the charges.

For more information about the services of a criminal defense attorney who could help you if you are facing conviction of any of the theft crimes mentioned above, please contact Chris McCann, Theft Attorney in Santa Ana.

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