Theft Attorney Fresno

Fresno Theft Attorney

The Fresno criminal defense lawyers of our firm offer numerous years of experience defending clients from theft-related charges all over Fresno and the surrounding areas.

A lot of people faced with theft crimes in Fresno are very good, productive individuals who made a sad error…and should have a second chance instead of a long lasting criminal record and jail time. Moreover, sometimes innocent persons get falsely accused of theft crimes according to wrong accusations or misleading evidence.

Our Fresno theft crimes attorneys have succeeded in getting charges lowered or even dismissed in such cases as Petty Theft, Grand Theft, Identity Theft, Receiving Stolen Property, Burglary, Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Firearm, Auto Burglary and Embezzlement.

A Fresno theft related conviction may be particularly destructive in terms of getting possible work, state licensing and other benefits. While a lot of theft convictions may eventually be expunged, they’ll still show up on background checks. Business employers tend to shy away from applicants with theft records, fearing them to be dishonest and having the probability to steal from their companies.

Furthermore, most Fresno theft crimes are viewed as “crimes of moral turpitude.” It means that state license boards frequently refer to theft convictions as a reason to deny licenses and certifications, including a contractor’s license, a nursing license or a real estate license. These convictions could also cause immigration consequences for immigrants seeking a visa, green card or naturalization to the United States.

Dealing with a Fresno Theft Charge

The good news is that an experienced Fresno theft crimes attorney can often provide help to get rid of the charge and maintain the issue off your record. Our first strategy to every theft crimes case is always to scrutinize the facts to find out whether the prosecutor really has enough evidence to establish you guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If not, we can really challenge the evidence in the court and sometimes have the case dropped or even get a “not guilty” judgment at trial.

From time to time the prosecution’s evidence may be overwhelming. Even so, our Fresno criminal defense lawyers could work out an arrangement with the judge or prosecutor to have the theft charges decreased or terminated.

This is also true in first offense theft cases, in which the client does not have any record and simply made a bad mistake. In case you agree to pay off the victim and to do a program of community service or even theft counseling, often we could convince the D.A. or the legal court to lower the charges and spare the client the stigma of a permanent criminal record.

Common Fresno Theft Crimes

Petty Theft: According to the Penal Code, it is the stealing of property valued up to $950. Even though the offense is a misdemeanor, a second offense may be charged as a felony (Petty Theft with a Prior).

Grand Theft: Under Penal Code, it is the stealing of property valued at more than $950. It might be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony.

Grand Theft of a Firearm: Any theft of a firearm counts as “grand theft”, regardless of the worth of the weapon. This offense is usually a felony.

Grand Theft Auto: Some State laws treats any theft of a vehicle as “grand theft”, regardless the worth of the car.

Burglary: Entering a structure with the intention to commit a felony or any theft inside constitutes burglary in most states. If the structure is a home or even “inhabited dwelling,” residential burglary could be charged.

Auto Burglary: Breaking into a locked vehicle for the purpose of stealing it constitutes “auto burglary”.

Embezzlement: Any person who wrongfully steals or misappropriates property entrusted to him by the rightful owner could be charged with embezzlement.

Receiving Stolen Property: This happens when someone purchases or gets property that he/she knows (or reasonably should know) is stolen.

Robbery: A person commits Robbery if he uses violence, force or threats to take property from another person’s immediate possession.

Carjacking: This is basically robbery of a car. If someone uses force or fear to take a vehicle from another person’s immediate possession, carjacking could be charged.

Fresno Grand Theft – Petty Theft – Robbery – Burglary – Larceny – Stolen Property – False Pretense – Shoplifting

Theft is Stealing

Theft crimes, otherwise known as Larceny, are crimes where a person knowingly and willfully takes someone else’s property. Theft crimes include all kinds of stealing and penalties range between fines to prison sentences.

Penalties for Fresno Theft

If you’ve been caught stealing or perhaps convicted of a Theft crime, you might be facing many Theft Penalties, such as:

• Jail

• Probation or Parole

• Restitution (paying back victims for their loss)

• Court-Ordered Counseling

• Fines

The Courts look at every Fresno Theft case separately. The highest penalties are given to those criminals with a record of theft charges and the use of weapons.

Stealing – What’s truly on the line here.

After you have been caught stealing or charged with a Fresno Theft crime, convicted, and settled fines and/or served prison time, your future may suffer as a consequence.

The charge of Theft could make you to rethink your job options (notably those associated with the financial industry); limit professional certificates and licenses, and comes with a whole life of social judgment. Trust cannot be paid for. In all circles, integrity is highly valued. A criminal record of Theft charges is hard to get rid of.

The importance of hiring a qualified Fresno criminal defense lawyer to handle your Theft charges cannot be undervalued. One of our prepared and seasoned lawyers will be meticulous in each and every point in the case and will cover everything.

Phone our Law Offices as early as possible to ensure a strong and solid defense.

Our office services can include some or even all of the following:

• Very early preparation and investigation of all case-related details;

• Quick identification and interviews of witnesses;

• Victim interviews with recorded statements;

• Early call with Prosecutor, before formal case filing;

• Removal of bail requirements;

• Preparation of motions for Own Recognizance (Or) status;

• Scheduling of privately-held lie detector test;

• Securing gainful employment for accused;

• Preparation of important documents, like reference, support, and character letters;

• Making all formal motions for case dismissal;

• Investigation of counseling as a possible choice to imprisonment, depending on medical or psychological examination;

• Exploration of alternatives to jail, such as house arrest or electronic monitoring;

• Presentation of a highly effective defense!

If you are charged with a Fresno Theft crime, call our Law Offices right now to get the best assistance in your case.

Explanation of Fresno Theft Crimes

A lot of crime types are committed every day. Some are minor and lots of persons commit them. Minor crime examples are traffic violations, such as speeding or even illegal u-turns. Some crimes are really serious and don’t happen as much, thankfully. An example of a really serious crime is robbery.

Robbery is taking property from another by force or threats. It’s a theft type in the sense that property is illegally taken. However, robbery is more serious than normal theft due to the fact force or even threats are used. This is particularly true if the robber uses a weapon to take property.

Robbery Elements

Crimes are made up of elements that needs to be met to convict a person. Robbery has 4 main elements.

An individual is guilty of robbery when he:

* Takes property from its rightful owner

* Acts without the owner’s permission

* Intends to steal property

* Uses force or intimidation against the owner

An individual should have specific intent to commit robbery. If he’s just borrowing property or trying to play a joke, it’s not robbery.

The force or intimidation has to be directly related to the taking of property for the act to become robbery. It cannot be after the property is taken. The force or even intimidation must be immediate. There is no robbery if the threat is for potential violence.

Aggravated Robbery

From time to time robbery happens under situations making it more serious than simple robbery. This is called aggravated robbery. A variety of factors can turn simple robbery easily into aggravated robbery.

Common aggravating factors include:

* Using a deadly weapon

* Inflicting serious bodily harm

A deadly weapon is one that can be used to kill or severely hurt or injure. Use of a deadly weapon to force or threaten someone to steal his property is an aggravating factor raising crime severity. Common dangerous weapons are guns and knives.

If a person inflicts considerable physical harm on a victim, he might also be charged with aggravated robbery, even without using a deadly weapon. Laws and regulations demand a far more serious penalty each time a victim is severely hurt, and not just threatened. Some states do not require serious injury in some instances.

To illustrate, one is guilty in Texas of aggravated robbery if he causes physical injury to any person 65 years or older or even who is disabled.

Punishment for Robbery

Robbery is known as a felony. Most states and the federal government classify a crime that’s punishable by more than one year in jail as a felony. A number of states consider a felony as any crime that’s punishable by any prison time.

In contrast, an inexpensive theft is usually regarded as a misdemeanor. Most states and the federal government classify a crime that’s punishable by less than one year in prison as a misdemeanor.

A number of states consider a misdemeanor as any kind of crime that’s punishable only by fine or short jail sentence. Whether or not a crime is a robbery or a theft could have a great effect on punishment.

Usual punishment for robbery conviction is a prison sentence. Sentence length depends on a person’s criminal records and case conditions. A big fine can also be imposed on top of any jail sentence. States usually have increased punishments for aggravated robbery.