It was a sunny spring day, right before finals. A college senior with the initials M.M. was working on an end-of-term paper in a Starbucks in Santa Clarita, California. As she busied herself with her work, she noted two older women whispering about her from a distance. Looking up, she caught their eyes, and removed her ear buds so she could catch snippets of their conversation. They brightened, and explained that they had just been admiring her necklace. In a friendly gesture, M.M. fingered at the jade charms and explained where she had purchased the jewelry. It sparked a conversation about shopping and sales, which lasted a few minutes.
The two friendly women walked closer towards her, reaching out to touch the charms on her necklace and admire M.M.'s fashion sense. Eventually, a barista shouted their drink orders, and they left the shop with their beverages. Once the women had departed, M.M. went back to her paper, thinking nothing more of the exchange. A few hours later, when her homework was completed, M.M. reached for her keys, which had been resting on the table behind her notebook computer. They weren't there. She searched her bag. They weren't there either. She began to panic, wondering if she locked the keys in her car. When she walked out to the parking lot, she found her space empty. The car was nowhere to be seen.
Immediately, she remembered the ladies who had been fingering her necklace. They had conspired to steal her keys, and her small Nissan Altima. On May 1st, police men used a license plate sensor cameras installed in their vehicles to locate M.M.'s stolen car. They chased the driver, a middle-aged man, into a senior citizen home parking lot, where he skidded to a stop before the walkway to the building. Even though M.M.'s car was recovered, the other keys that had been on her key ring were lost, and the car was polluted with cigarettes and littered with belongings. The man driving the vehicle was hauled off to jail, and detectives are currently searching for his Hench-women who helped to steal M.M.'s c ar.
Grand theft auto is a serious crime with devastating consequences. Whenever a car is stolen without intent to return, it is considered grand theft auto. The goods stolen must amount to more than $400 and must be seized without permission. Stealing a car is a felony that applies to all sorts of automobiles including trailers, construction equipment, and motor vehicles. Most thieves are sentenced to a state prison for 16 months up to 3 years. In order to prove that a suspect is guilty of grand theft auto, the prosecution must prove that the person took or drove away in an automobile belonging to another person.
Also, the prosecution must show that the person who took the automobile had a specific intent to deprive the owner of the car permanently. In the state of California, these requirements are a part of the CALJIC, and are given to the jury as a guideline on car theft cases. If a criminal is convicted of multiple counts of grand theft auto, then the punishment increases. The criminal will suffer 2 to 4 years in prison for the offenses, and pay up to $10,000 in fines.
If the jury is able to conclude that the criminal committed grand theft auto beyond a reasonable doubt, then the case is closed and the thief will be punished. Anyone who aides as a henchman in a grand theft auto case can also be held accountable for crimes and sentences to prison or compelled to pay large fines. If you have been convicted of grand theft auto, then you will want a criminal defense lawyer on your side to fight for your innocence. Talk to an attorney about your specific case.
