Grand Theft Auto 4 Download Mobile
Bernice Billy
Even though auto theft rates have been declining steadily in America, law enforcement agencies still put a lot of effort into solving and prosecuting vehicle theft cases. In 2011, 85% of all automobiles stolen in California were recovered.4
Under California law, you cannot be convicted of both receiving stolen property and the actual theft of the property.40 Therefore, you are unlikely to be charged with both receiving stolen property and grand theft auto under Penal Code 487(d)(1) PC.
If you or a loved one is charged with Penal Code 487(d)(1) PC grand theft auto and you are looking to hire an attorney for representation, we invite you to contact us at Shouse Law Group. We can provide a free consultation in the office or by phone. We have local offices in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Pasadena, Long Beach, Orange County, Ventura, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose and throughout California.
Have you been charged with theft of auto, grand theft auto, or theft by taking? According to statistics from the FBI, Atlanta ranks fourth in the nation for the number of auto thefts each year. In Georgia carjacking/highjacking and Theft by Taking or receiving stolen property are felony motor vehicle crimes.
Theft by taking seems simple enough, yet when it comes to automobiles the details can mean the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor, therefore if you find yourself being charged with theft by taking do not hesitate to hire experience counsel to come to your defense.
If you or someone you know has been accused of grand theft auto in Dallas, the lawyers at the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter may be able to provide you with much-needed legal assistance. Using our experience and legal defense knowledge, we have successfully provided many clients with the peace of mind they need in the midst of a criminal trial. Call our offices today at (214) 845-7007 to learn what we can do for you.
Grand Theft Auto is not just the name of a popular video game series. In fact, the game gets its name from the associated criminal offense. While popular culture and video games may have romanticized the idea of car theft, the reality is that grand theft auto is a serious criminal offense that often leaves victims in a helpless situation and demanding serious penalties. Anyone charged with Grand Theft Auto should reach out to a skilled St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyer right away.
When most people think of the activities that take place in the Grand Theft Auto video game series, they think of a character forcing an innocent bystander out of a vehicle by force or at gunpoint. This act, under Florida law is much more likely to be construed as carjacking, which is a separate and much more serious offense. Both grand theft auto and carjacking are felonies that carry serious potential penalties and should not be taken lightly.
Grand theft auto carries a relatively simple definition. A person can be convicted of grand theft auto if he or she knowingly obtains, uses or attempts to obtain or use the property of another with the intent to deprive another person of the use of that property. In the case of grand theft auto, that property must be a motor vehicle. Typically, the offense level of a theft case is determined by the value of the property stolen. For example, if a person is convicted of theft of a cell phone, whether the case is a felony or a misdemeanor is determined by the market value of the phone itself. If the phone is worth less than $300, it is a misdemeanor offense. If the phone is worth more than that, it is a felony. Grand theft auto, on the other hand, is a felony offense no matter the value of the vehicle. While you may be hard-pressed to find a car worth less than $300 these days, the value of the car has no determination to the level of the offense.
Grand theft auto can sometimes be a difficult charge for the State to prove. A majority of grand theft auto cases are initiated when someone finds that their car has been stolen and make a police report. Later, the police pull someone over driving the stolen car. That person often gets charged with grand theft auto because they were in possession of the stolen property. However, to prove the case, the state must prove more than simple possession of stolen property. Many prosecutors will attempt to go forward on cases with little evidence other than that. However, a skilled St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney will be able to exploit this common error for your benefit.
Having a Fort Lauderdale criminal lawyer experienced with grand theft in Florida on your side is important in building a strong defense. If charged with the crime, you can face severe penalties. The felony charges in Florida for grand theft auto depend on the value of the vehicle that was taken and include:
What is grand theft auto?
Theft of an automobile, which is commonly known as grand theft auto, occurs when you take, steal, or drive another person's vehicle without his or her permission, with the intent to deprive him or her of the vehicle. Grand theft auto can range from a premeditated theft of another person's automobile, to "borrowing" a neighbor's car for a teenage joyride. It is not always necessary that you be the person who stole the vehicle in order for you to commit grand theft auto; under some state laws, you may have committed grand theft auto simply by being a passenger in a vehicle that you know is stolen.
You also don't have to keep the vehicle permanently in order to be convicted of grand theft auto; rather, you can be convicted of grand theft auto even if you borrow or use the vehicle without permission for a very shore period of time. Additionally, in many states, grand theft auto must involve a vehicle with a value greater than a certain minimum value, such as $400 in California, and $300 in Florida.
When is it a felony?
Grand theft auto is typically charged as a felony in most states. However, if you have no prior convictions, you may only be charged with misdemeanor grand theft auto under some state laws, in certain situations. For instance, if you have no criminal record and you were merely a passenger who did not at first realize that your buddy had stolen a car, then you might be charged with a misdemeanor rather than a felony. However, in some states, you might still be facing felony charges in such a situation.
Sentencing guidelines
A first conviction for grand theft auto usually results in jail or prison time in excess of one year, depending on whether it is a felony or misdemeanor grand theft auto conviction, and can involve significant fines, probation, community service, and/or suspension of your driver's license, depending on the state. However, any subsequent convictions for grand theft auto are likely to result in more substantial jail or prison sentences and fines. As a general rule, any prior criminal convictions will tend to make penalties for subsequent criminal convictions more severe. Plus, in states with "three strikes" laws, such as California, a felony conviction for grand theft auto is likely to count as one of your three "strikes", which may ultimately result in more serious punishment for your grand theft auto felony charge. Additionally, even a first felony conviction can make you ineligible for certain employment or professions.
Possible defenses
There are some legitimate defenses for grand theft auto that may apply under certain circumstances. For instance, a common defense is that you had the vehicle owner's permission to drive or otherwise use the vehicle. Another defense is that you didn't intend to keep the vehicle permanently, but only intended to use the vehicle on a temporary basis. In other circumstances, you might present mistake as a defense, i.e. that you mistakenly thought you had permission to borrow a relative's car, or were mistaken about the car's legal owner.