If you have been arrested for a criminal charge of theft, it is very important to understand the different level of severity; because the difference can mean fines or time behind bars. First off, theft is defined as an illegal taking of another person's property or possession without their permission. This can include a physical object such as a car, fraudulently stealing an identity, embezzlement from your company or stealing intellectual property. Essentially, taking what is not right fully yours can result in criminal charges if you are convicted as guilty. For this reason, whatever the charges against you may be, contact a criminal defense attorney in your area immediately for the legal guidance that you deserve. No matter the severity of the crimes, in America every person has the right to fight for their innocence, their freedom and for their future; don't throw that away by not contacting an attorney to help you!

Grand theft is considered to be a first degree criminal charge, meaning that it is going to be more severe of a penalty as opposed to a second degree count. While some states may vary in specific details of what is deemed to be grand theft, generally they are fairly even across the board. These general qualifications include the stealing of property that is valued anywhere from $500-$1000 depending on the state it was taken in. it is also considered to be grand theft when property is physically taken from another person, however this does not mean that the suspect used any sort of force or fear (like you would in a pursue mugging, which would be categorized as robbery). An example of this would include pick-pocketing; which could be thousands of dollars stolen, just without force.

Another category that will automatically becoming grand theft is when it is certain types of animals or cars that are taken. No matter their actual value, the court will automatically deem these as being grand theft. Anything that does not fall under the category of grand theft automatically is considered to be second degree or petty theft. When addressing the topic of theft in general it is also important to have a good understanding of the difference of lost and stolen property, and to what extent a lost item because a stolen good.

While it is a wonderful thing to find lost property, if there is any chance of it ever being returned to its original owner; then by the law it is considered theft if you keep it. A simple way to understand this principle is if a person is walking down the street and just so happens to find a large sum bill lying on the ground. If they pick it up and pocket it, no harm is done because the owner remains unknown. However, if that same person witnessed another individual dropping the money out of their purse, it is then considered to be theft if they choose to keep it anyway. Reasonable opportunity to return the lost good is considered here, and if there is any way possible for the owner to receive what is rightfully theirs it is considered an act of theft.

Stolen property on the other hand is theft as a whole. Whether you are buying or keeping a stolen good, you are therefore considered to be violating the law. However, as with any wise criminal defense attorney, they would then seek to argue that you were unaware of the property being a stolen food, and use whatever evidence could be found to prove that you were not knowingly involved in a criminal act. Either way, if you are accused or arrested of a theft charge, petty or grand, contact a criminal defense attorney in your area to fight for you rights!