What are the factors or elements for 487 PC Grand Theft?

Under California law, the crime of theft is defined as the unlawful taking of someone else’s property.

And when the property taken is valued at more than nine hundred fifty dollars ($950), then the theft is considered the California crime of grand theft under Penal Code 487 PC.

A grand theft conviction on your record can have all sorts of professional and personal repercussions. And, unfortunately, the California grand theft statute allows grand theft charges to be filed against people who made one or two mistakes that, at the time, seemed minor.

Examples of actions that can lead to grand theft charges in California include:

  • Shoplifting a piece of jewelry that has a $1000 price tag,
  • Embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from an employer, and
  • Breaking into a house and stealing electronics worth several thousand dollars. 

Legal Consequences:

In most cases, the offense of grand theft in California is a wobbler.  This means that the prosecutor may choose to charge you with either misdemeanor or felony grand theft.

The maximum potential sentence for misdemeanor grand theft is up to one (1) year in county jail.

For felony grand theft, you may be sentenced to sixteen (16) months, two (2) years, or three (3) years of incarceration.

How can we defend you against charges of California Penal Code 487 PC Grand Theft?

In a typical grand theft case, popular and often effective defenses are that:

  • You did not intend to steal,
  • The allegedly stolen property actually belonged to you,
  • The person who owned the item consented to you taking it, and/or
  • You were falsely accused.

Contact us:

We have been successfully defending clients facing all types of criminal charges in Sonoma and Marin Counties, since 1992.

The 100 Trial Lawyers Association has recognized us as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the country!

Please call our office today at (707) 571-8600 in our centrally located Santa Rosa office in Sonoma County or call our office in San Rafael in Marin County at (415) 492-4507 to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation.

Don’t bargain with your freedom! The right attorney makes all the difference between your freedom and incarceration!