New York City Petit Larceny Attorney
Fighting Theft Charges in Scarsdale, Manhattan, Bronx, and Manchester
If you or someone you love has been charged with petit larceny, you should
not take the situation lightly. While this is considered to be a "lesser"
theft offense, you could still be facing up to one year in jail and a blemish on your
criminal record. For this reason, you should not hesitate to discuss your
case with a NYC criminal attorney from the Law Offices of Daniel A. Hochheiser
as soon as possible.
New York Penal Law § 155.25 – Petit Larceny
In the state of New York, it is a crime to knowingly and intentionally
take possession of another person's property. Under the law, "property"
can refer to any form of money, personal property, real property, computer
data, substance or thing of value, etc. Depending on the value of the
property that was stolen, one could either be charged with petit or
grand larceny.
Typically, the defendant will be charged with petit larceny if the value
of the stolen property did not exceed $1,000. This is not a steadfast
rule, as the theft of certain items (i.e. firearms) is usually always
charged as grand larceny—even if the property was valued under $1,000.
Petit larceny charges usually stem from cases of shoplifting or minor
theft, but it is important to realize that no type of
theft charge is a small matter.
What are the penalties for misdemeanor theft?
Petit larceny is considered to be a misdemeanor offense in New York. This
means that you could be sentenced to a maximum of one year in jail if
you were to be convicted. While the penalties for petit theft are considerably
less serious than those imposed for grand larceny—which could result
in up to 25 years in state prison—a conviction could be much more
consequential than you think.
Not only could you be forced to spend a year of your life behind bars,
but you may also have difficulty finding employment or maintaining personal
relationships in the future. For this reason, you should not hesitate
to take preventative measures while there is still time. As soon as you
have been arrested, a criminal defense lawyer from the Law Offices of
Daniel A. Hochheiser should be by your side.
What if I took something by mistake?
As is common in cases of
shoplifting, it may help the defendant's case if they can prove that they did
not mean to steal. For example, a store owner may be willing to overlook
a case of accidental theft if a parent was unaware of the fact that their
child had carried an item out of the store. If video surveillance shows
them hiding items in their child's stroller, however, it may be much
more difficult for them to prove that they had shoplifted by mistake.
Since each case is different, it is hard to say whether or not you will
be shown leniency when stolen property has been discovered in your possession.
That being said, it is recommended that you
contact a New York City criminal defense attorney as soon as you have been accused of committing a crime. In doing so, you
can ensure that you have the best possible chance of fighting your charges.
Call a New York City Criminal Defense Lawyer
When you contact our firm at (800) 813-9069, your initial consultation
is free. We are also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so there
is no reason why you should wait any longer to get started.
Call our office today to learn more about how we can help.