What Are Different Theft Crime Penalties & Sentencing

There can be a number of situations in which one can find themself accused of a theft crime, either big or small. To be able to handle such accusations effectively, one has to know how sentencing and penalties of such crimes occur.

There are actually many different ways of determining the punishment for criminal theft in which, usually the nature of crime is seen.

A theft crime takes place when someone takes away someone else’s personal property without gaining their consent.

Such legal cases are handled by the state, therefore if the person is proven guilty, he or she can be subject to serious consequences.

So, it is essential that when you find yourself charged with such a crime, immediately get in touch with a good attorney, to avoid further complications in your case.

Clark, Clark & Noonan is a well-established law firm in New Jersey, so if you are looking for a good lawyer to handle your case, visit www.csclarklaw.com/theft-crime-lawyer.

Moving on to the punishment of theft crime, the three main categories of theft crime usually serve as the basis to decide how the accused should be penalized.

1. Petty Theft

The first category is petty theft in which the stolen property is of low value. A person accused of this crime is fined with petty theft charges or a short jail period (less than a year).

2. Grand Theft

The next category is grand theft that can be further classified into a felony or misdemeanor. Grand theft involves stealing a property that is of significant value, exceeding 500 or 1000 dollars. The sentencing of such crime depends upon the circumstances surrounding it for example how the crime was conducted or what is the criminal history of the accused.

3. Grand Felony Theft

The third category is grand felony theft in which the value of the stolen property exceeds a significantly high limit set by the state. As a result of this crime, the accused has to face much more dire consequences in comparison with the above two categories.

After these categories, there are further considerations to be taken in while deciding penalties for the accused. This involves the type of property stolen, manner of the stealing, and other additional factors.

The type of stolen property, in felony crimes, must be determined as every state has different policies regarding it. Someone who is accused of stealing a vehicle or a firearm is straightaway considered a felonist, so he faces more intense penalties.

The manner of conducting theft also matters to decide if it is a felony or not. For example, if an accused was involved in a violent act while stealing something, then he or she would be charged with a felony crime and a heavy penalty.

Another factor that states consider is the previous history of the accused. If they come with a past criminal history then regardless of which category their crime falls in, states tend to show less leniency with them.

In a nutshell, if you want to mitigate the result of theft charges, learn about the details of legal proceedings and expected outcomes.