Grand Theft Auto is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly.[2] Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily developed by British development house Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design), and published by its American parent company, Rockstar Games. The name of the series is a term for motor vehicle theft in the United States.
Criminal activities in Grand Theft Auto games do not go unnoticed by the police. As the player engages in these in-game illegal activities, they may gain a "wanted level", represented by a maximum of five or six stars. A small crime, such as running over a non-player character, may create a one star wanted level situation, while shooting an officer may earn more stars. As the number of stars increase, the amount and strength of the response will increase; a single star might have a few police cars chase after the player, while at 5 or 6 stars, tanks and attack helicopters will chase down the player. Many in-game missions will automatically give the player a wanted level after completing a certain event which they must then get rid of before the mission is complete. Often, trying to keep away from the police while wanted will cause the player to gain even higher wanted levels. The player can remove their character's wanted level by avoiding detection or spending in-game money at specific locations to elude the police (such as a mod shop to repaint their car). Alternatively, if the player-character dies, they will respawn at a hospital and the wanted level will be removed, though the player may lose money, guns, and other benefits they had before being chased. The "wanted level" gameplay concept has become common in similar open world games.
One of the controversies involved with this game was Mothers Against Drunk Driving's (MADD) criticism of the ability to drink and drive as a new feature. MADD had even requested ESRB to change the rating of the game from "M" for ages seventeen and up to "AO", for adults only, because they felt it was inappropriate for children, even at the age of seventeen, to experience drunk driving in such a manner.[89] In the final game, drunk driving is a playable event, but it is a crime that automatically generates a wanted rating[90] and main playable character Niko Bellic loudly (and drunkenly) proclaims that it is a "bad idea" and that he "should know better".[91]
In 2012, the FBI recorded over 700,000 motor vehicle thefts in the United States, resulting in more than 4.3 billion dollars in damages. Auto thefts make up a significant portion of larceny crimes and, for that reason, many states have enacted special statutes to deal specifically with the theft of motor vehicles. Although these statutes may vary from state to state, most prohibit the theft of common vehicles, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and larger commercial vehicles like buses or semi trucks.
Another form of auto theft crime is carjacking, which is a type of robbery that involves a motor vehicle. A carjacking occurs when the vehicle is taken directly from the owner or driver of the car. Typically, as in a robbery, violence or the threat of violence is used to steal the car from another. Some states consider a carjacking to occur even when a victim is not near their car, but is threatened or forced to hand over their keys. Most states categorize carjacking as a felony and, because force or violence often accompanies the carjacking, a defendant may also be charged with battery or assault when appropriate. In many states, carjacking is considered a more serious offense than grand theft auto and can result in jail time of ten years or more.
In the Gameboy port, score multipliers are handled differently. The player can collect floating "X"'s hidden in each city, that automatically add a multiplier to the score counter. The first time one is picked up it says "2", the second time it says "3", and so on. This only affects points gained after acquiring the multiplier, not the points the player already has, so it is in the player's best interests to seek the "X"'s as soon as possible. Multiplier does not disappear if the player is arrested in this port.
It is a demo for the game's first level, Gangsta Bang, featuring all the protagonists and the four phone missions from Bubby. However, there is no soundtrack or sound effects and the player is not able to play the four on the same playthrough because the demo is limited to 6 minutes of gameplay. After these 6 minutes, the game will automatically take the player to the score screen.
Despite the popularity of the video game, California law does not play games when it comes to grand theft auto and other auto theft offenses. If you are charged with grand theft auto, you may be facing some serious penalties.
The important difference between these two offenses is whether or not you intended to keep the car permanently, or for a substantial period of time. If your intention was to take the vehicle for a brief period of time (a short drive, for example), then you may likely be charged with joyriding. However, if it appears that it was your intention to keep the car permanently or for a long time period, you may be charged with grand theft auto.
California law enforcement takes vehicle theft crimes very seriously. Because of this, these crimes are prosecuted very seriously and also result in a high percentage of recovered vehicles (85% in 2011).
Grand theft auto implies the intention to permanently steal the vehicle or deprive the owner of the vehicle. This may include using the stolen car as a getaway car from another crime, stealing a car in order to strip it or sell it for parts, or intending to steal a car permanently but later abandoning it somewhere.
You may be charged with joyriding instead of grand theft auto if you only intended to take the car for a short period of time. There is no minimum length of time for which you have to unlawfully take or drive a vehicle in order to be charged with joyriding, even if the period of time is very short.
Additionally, if you have any prior vehicle theft convictions on you record (including joyriding, grand theft, or stealing cargo), you may be sentenced to 2-4 years of jail time and a fine of up to $10,000.
If you have been charged with grand theft auto, a California criminal defense attorney who is experienced in theft crimes may be able to help you avoid a conviction or have your charges reduced. Some of the legal defenses that might be used in a grand theft auto case include:
When charged with grand theft auto, joyriding, or a related crime in California, a knowledgeable, experienced California theft crimes attorney is your best asset in your defense and may be able to help you get your charges reduced or dismissed. As an attorney with over 30 years of experience, I am confident that I can help you find the best defense possible for your case. Call my office to set up your consultation today.
A conviction for grand theft motor vehicle also comes with a revocation of driving privileges for one year. In those cases, the clerk will prepare a notice to revoke driving privileges in a grand theft motor vehicle case according to Florida Statutes 322.274 and 812.014(2)(c)(6).
Our six attorneys represent clients charged with various theft crimes throughout the greater Tampa Bay area, including in Hernando County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, and Polk County, FL.
According to Florida Statute 812.035(10), grand theft, including grand theft auto, has a statute of limitations of five years which controls instead of the general statute of limitations otherwise applicable in all criminal cases under section 775.15.
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