Funnily enough, if you stole a copy of Grand Theft Auto V (set in Los Angeles) you would be charged with petty theft in Burbank. GT5 is a marketing phenomenon, for sure. But the underlying messages – both subtle and not so subtle – are pretty disturbing. The debate about…
Your young adult son recently called with bad news: he was arrested for petty theft in Long Beach. Perhaps you bailed him out and had a stern, but open talk about what he did and why. Or perhaps you let him make his own bail and deal with the problem…
If you’ve been arrested for a Los Angeles petty theft crime, such as shoplifting, you obviously want to avoid a misdemeanor charge. If you’re convicted for shoplifting… and then caught and convicted for shoplifting again, two years from now, prosecutors can charge the second shoplifting as a felony crime. That…
Many Los Angeles petty theft cases are anything but petty, when you consider them from the victim’s point of view. The loss of a family heirloom, favorite toy, or other meaningful token can often feel more devastating than can the loss of a car or flat screen TV. Consider this…
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detectives are looking for additional suspects in a chop shop bust that’s already netted two individuals accused of auto theft in Los Angeles. According to a CBS LA report, the Sheriff’s Taskforce for Regional Auto Theft Prevention (TRAP) located a stolen car at Miramonte Boulevard’s 6700…
Maybe you stole some costume jewelry and brooches from a Venice Beach bodega. Or perhaps your Los Angeles petty theft charge came packaged with additional charges, like grand theft, robbery, assault, etc. In any case, you want to avoid serious punishment and “put the crime behind you.” But you’re also…
If you stole a mango, Lipton Ice Tea drink, and a pack of candy — a total of $3.67 worth of goods — do you think prosecutors would hit you with a misdemeanor Los Angeles petty theft charge … or a felony? The answer is not so obvious! If walked…
Often, Los Angeles petty theft cases take a turn for the bizarre. Separating truth from fiction can be a lot more challenging than people realize. How are your instincts? Take this quiz to find out. Three of stories actually happened, and three are totally made up. 1. Shoe fetishist steals…
Rob Kardashian’s Los Angeles petty theft and battery case has earned him time in the limelight, but odds are that his spotlight-hungry sisters are not particularly jealous. In March, Kardashian — the youngest child of Kris Jenner and lawyer Robert Kardashian — allegedly swiped camera equipment from a photographer in…
The courts have financial incentive to avoid dealing with trivial Los Angeles petty theft cases. Here’s a bold illustration why. Up in Monterey, 75-year-old Lilia Estoesta just got convicted of a single petty theft charge for stealing $60 worth of jewelry. The cost of the trial – just for the…