Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Re: code PC484(a) Petty Theft

A Petty Theft conviction, particularly for a first offense, rarely involves jail time. However, these cases usually involve two components; a criminal one and a civil one.

For the criminal one, the prosecutors may or may not have decided whether they will charge you at this point. If they do, then even though jail time is unlikely if convicted, the ramifactions for future employment prospects will be significant to say the least.

As for the civil component of your case, in the weeks following the incident, you should expect to receive a collection letter saying you owe probably $500 which is the maximum allowed by law for this kind of thing. If you don't pay, they will threaten you with a small claims lawsuit.

If you act fast, you may be able to resolve this matter through a civil compromise. Basically, this is where you enter into an agreement with the prosecutor that if you settle the civil matter, they will not file charges against you.

You will need a private defense attorney for this. If you are serious about hiring one, feel free to contact our office.

Best of Luck!

George M.

www.NotGuiltyInCA.com

941.742.8090

Re: code PC484(a) Petty Theft

There is a very good chance that you will not have to go to jail if you are convicted of the petty theft charge. That depends on many factors, but in my experience, a jail sentence is not likely. You don't say which court you have to go to, and that can make a difference, but because of your zip code, I'm assuming that your court is in LA County. I have practiced in LA County for 36 years, and I don't think you'll have to go to jail for your conviction. However, it may be possible to either avoid a conviction altogether or to reduce the severity of the conviction from a petty theft, a crime of moral turpitude (a bad thing), to something less serious. For this you will need a criminal lawyer experienced in handling petty theft charges. If you can't afford a lawyer, a public defender will represent you. But if you can afford a lawyer, I recommend that you have a private attorney represent you. With a private attorney, you won't even have to be in court for several of the court appearances; you will only have to appear once. And a private attorney can spend the kind of time on your case that is necessary to achieve the best result possible. The consequences of a conviction for a petty theft (or anything else) vary considerably from case to case, and aggressive, competent representation can make a big difference between a good sentence and a harsher sentence. If you'd like to speak to me about this matter, please don't hesitate to contact me. Good luck. Steve Mandell

Re: code PC484(a) Petty Theft

You should not go to jail if this is your first violation. That said, you should do all you can to keep your record clean of any theft convictions which tend to create serious problems when one is looking for a job.

Retain a lawyer to fight to have your charges dismissed or reduced to an infraction. If you cannot afford private counsel, a public defender will be provided for you. Do not attempt to handle the case by yourself under any circumstances. Do not discuss your case with prosecutors or police investigators.

Jacek W. Lentz, Esq.

310.273.1361

www.lentzlawfirm.com