Virginia Grand Larceny Lawyers

GRAND LARCENY IN VA

GUIDE TO NAVIGATE TO THE RIGHT GRAND LARCENY LAWYER IN VA

Larceny means an act of theft. The United States categorizes it as either Petite or Grand larceny. Petite theft, as the name refers to, is the act of theft that is small in value whereas grand larceny refers to acts of theft that have considerable value. The laws regarding Grand larceny in VA have been changing from time to time especially with regards to the threshold value of the goods stolen. Earlier if the value of goods stolen was equal to more than $200, the act was considered as Grand larceny in VA; those below it was considered to be the acts of petite theft. Then, later on, it was altered to $1000. But since July 2020, this value has been revised, and now any theft involving the value of goods equal to or more than $500 is considered to be an act of grand larceny in VA although with several riders attached to it.

Grand larceny in VA comes under the gamut of felony offenses whereas petite theft is covered under misdemeanors. The elements of ‘deliberate’ picking up of a property and the ‘intention’ of never returning the same are very vital for pressing of Grand larceny in VA charges. The prosecution in such cases should be able to establish that the act of taking away the property, whether from the person or without physical possession by the real owner, was not accidental but deliberate. It should also be able to establish that the accused took away the property with the intention of either selling it and earn a profit or use it but never return the given property to its real owner.

Offenses tried under Grand larceny in VA

The acts of crime under Grand larceny in VA have been categorized in several sections.

Incidents of shoplifting: Incidents of shoplifting are considered under the gamut of Grand larceny in VA if the value of the goods is equal to or more than $1000.
Stealing from physical possession of another person: Incidents like pickpocketing, snatching, and forcefully taking away money from somebody by threatening with or without the use of firearms, come under this category. Laws regarding such categories are very strict in VA. Every such act wherein the value of the wallet or the money contained therein exceeds $5, comes under the gamut of Grand larceny in VA. In cases wherein the accused picks up unattended bags or wallets, such stringent rule applies only if the value of the same exceeds $500.
Thefts of firearms: Any incident involving the theft of a firearm shall always come under the ambit of Grand larceny in VA, irrespective of the value of the firearms. The thefts of firearms are viewed as extremely serious charges in VA and invite the strictest of punishments.
Thefts of checks, banknotes, and public records: The theft of checks and banknotes also comes under the category of Grand larceny in VA, in case the value of the same crosses the threshold limit. In the case of public records, any thefts and/or destruction of public records also invites punishments in keeping with charges of Grand larceny in VA.
Carjacking and robbery: Incidents of carjacking and robbery are considered severe offenses in VA and such incidents automatically qualify for Grand larceny in VA. The incidents of carjacking attract a minimum of 15 years of imprisonment and those of robbery attracts a minimum of 5 years of imprisonment.

Establishment of intention by the prosecution in Grand larceny

For every case of Grand larceny in VA, it is important that the prosecutor establishes the under-mentioned facts, for the accused to be punished as per appropriate laws for grand larceny:

That the accused took the property of another person
That the said property was taken against the willingness and consent of the owner.
That the property was taken by the accused with an aim of stealing it.

Potential defenses to combat Grand larceny in VA charges

There are certain grounds that the accused can put up in his/her defense.

That the given property was accepted by the accused in good faith
That the given property belongs to him/her
That he/she was intoxicated at the time of the act and did it under the influence of alcohol
That the accused intended to pay for the property
That the police illegally conducted the search and seizure
That the accused mistook the given property to be his/her own since the same looked similar to one of his owned properties

Penalties for Grand larceny in VA

Grand larceny in VA is an extremely serious charge and attracts strict punishments, depending upon the seriousness of the crime. Grand larceny in VA incidents can attract anything between 1 and 20 years of imprisonment. That is not all; in cases involving the usage of firearms or dire threats, such incidents not only attract punishments related to Grand larceny in VA but under other sections too. In cases wherein, the value of the property stolen is just at the threshold level and the accused does not have any previous criminal history, the court can treat the case as that of misdemeanor and hands over the punishment likewise. In cases like these, the punishment is on par with petite theft offenses. But in cases, wherein the accused is a serial offender and has been involved in more than 3 such cases, he/she automatically qualifies for Class 6 felony charges in VA.

In several instances, a person may not have shoplifted or picked up a property deliberately. In such cases, it might get difficult for the accused to prove his/her innocence. Grand larceny in VA attorneys is the best people to guide under these circumstances. They are not only knowledgeable and experienced enough to have witnessed several such cases but are also extremely skilled in laws pertaining to Grand larceny in VA. With their experience, they are able to tell the accused the seriousness of the offence and the amounts of punishment that they might attract. They are also the best people to tell you the most appropriate defenses that can be put up against the particular Grand larceny in VA charges that have been pitted against the accused.

Theft, in general, is regarded to be a punishable crime in Virginia. The state legislations categorize thefts into two kinds, namely petty and Grand larceny in VA. Petty thefts include stealing of properties that are less in value compared to that of those looted in Grand larceny in VA, therefore the latter is recognized as a serious conviction that eventually brings in varied legal consequences. Grand larceny in VA is the act of looting a property without the authorization of its owner. It involves criminals, who intend to deprive the victims of their assets, permanently.

The state laws of VA acknowledge Grand larceny in VA as a felonious conviction that incurs imprisonments for 1 year or more. Criminal lawyers from the Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. prepare and render various defenses to fight charges of Grand larceny in VA, filed against their clients.

Listed herein are some of the violations that constitute Grand larceny in VA:

Acquiring properties through extortions.
Looting properties owned by another person.
Stealing motor vehicles that are worth 100 dollars and more.
Looting personal banking instruments like credit and debit cards, checkbooks, etc.
Obtaining illegal access to information that is confidential and private.
Stealing of assets that are of values amounting to 1000 dollars or more.

Here, extortion is the process of obtaining properties through the following illegal means:

Threats to cause harm or kill the person, who owns the property.
Threats to leak details that appear private and crucial.
Threats to endanger or injure the relatives of the owners.

Grand larceny in VA lawsuits witness estimation of the values of the properties stolen to thereby ascertain and ensure the nature of the thefts recorded. In most of the Grand larceny in VA cases, the values of the stolen assets are determined by assessing the market values of the same at the time of the alleged theft. Contact the Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. to get you out of the mess.

Shoplifting

It is also considered to be a felony like Grand larceny in VA. The following practices are regarded as unlawful violations by the state legislature of Virginia:

Altering the price tag of an item that is worth 500 dollars and more.
Covering an item or clothing that is worth 500 dollars or more while in the store.
Possessing arms to threaten the owners of a store to thereby loot money or rob articles, regardless of the value of the property robbed.
Moving items from one section to another to thereby alter the values of the same.

Other important facts surrounding Grand larceny in VA are listed herein:

The owners of the store can hold the suspects for 1 hour while waiting for the arrival of the police.
A minimum of 2 year jail period is declared for the transgressors, who are caught stealing or distributing robbed items. Possession of two or more articles of the same type is recognized as a ground to suspect robbery.
The Virginian legislation increased the minimum limits that regularize Grand larceny in VA, from 200 dollars to 500 dollars in the year 2018. Therefore, it has become hard for lawyers to reduce convictions from Grand larceny in VA to petty thefts. The threshold that governs Grand larceny in VA was last modified 40 years ago.

Other forms of Grand larceny in VA

Entering into a building or a private property with intentions to rob its belongings without prior permission from its owners is one form of Grand larceny in VA that is legally regarded as burglary. Charges that come under burglaries are treated as felonies belonging to class 3. If the offender was found to have possessed guns or rifles during the commission of the reported theft, then the observed Grand larceny in VA is acknowledged as a felony of class 2. Whatever is the crime, the lawyers from the Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. can find a suitable defense.

A fraudulent conviction against the titles of an asset is also considered offensive in Virginia. Crimes registered in these cases include digital frauds, illegal identity manipulations, the sale of counterfeited items, and unlawful transfers of ownerships.

Inducing illicit damages to public properties and breaking into restricted governmental organizations, without prior permission, are also punishable according to the Virginian laws. Damaging of books placed at a public library is also considered to be an offense, as per the state legislation. Graffiti and illegal scribbling on the walls of a public building are also considered to be violations that damage public properties. Grand larceny in VA that incurs losses of 1000 dollars and more is regarded as a felony. On the other hand, Grand larceny in VA that brings in damages with repair costs below 1000 dollars is acknowledged as a misdemeanor.

The malicious burning of an asset, to impose damages to the same, is termed as arson that incurs felonious criminations belonging to class 2 or 3. Imprisonments for a maximum of 20 years are declared for the perpetrators in these cases.

Penalizations incurred for Grand larceny in VA

People convicted for Grand larceny in VA are incarcerated for a period ranging between 1and 5 years. Individuals, held for the crime, are also entitled to pay a definite amount of fine as instructed by the courts. The fines collected during these cases vary depending on the values of the assets robbed. The perpetrators, criminated for Grand larceny in VA, are also required to pay compensations to the people, who stand as victims, to restitute the losses incurred. A court announces increased fines and financial compensations, during Grand larceny in VA lawsuit, wherein the offender is found to have looted the property and damaged it additionally. This is because an asset with damages incurs drastic depreciation in its market values and thus the offenders are obliged to pay additional funds to satisfy the costs of repair of the damaged property.

Defenses to fight Grand larceny in VA charges

In all Grand larceny in VA cases, the prosecution files the case against the alleged transgressor. Once when the cases are registered at the court, the prosecutions are assigned with a specific set of duties that demand timely executions.

Listed below, are some of the responsibilities bestowed on the prosecutions during Grand larceny in VA cases.

Establishment of unauthorized access: The prosecution must submit adequate shreds of evidence to establish the fact that the property looted was taken away from its owner without prior permissions or authorizations.
The prosecution should also present proof to claim the fact that the offenders intended to deprive the victims of their properties, permanently. The subject of permanence is crucial for all Grand larceny in VA lawsuits.
The prosecutions should place multiple lawful proofs to ensure that the theft recorded was grand and not petty theft. By doing so, the severities of the criminations registered against a defendant are made severe.

Criminal lawyers from the Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. appear on behalf of the perpetrators, offer varied defenses to nullify or lessen the charges lodged against the latter. The outcomes of Grand larceny in VA case majorly depend on the accusations put forth by the prosecutions. Therefore, attorneys, who represent the defendants at the court, analyze the allegations and proofs put forth by the prosecutions, and prepare arguments accordingly.

The following are the common defenses used by criminal lawyers during Grand larceny in VA lawsuits:

Criminal lawyers assert that the thefts recorded were not unauthorized and that their clients had prior permissions to acquire access to the property concerned.
Lawyers prove that the transgressors did not intentionally mean to deprive the victims of their properties, permanently. Lawyers also claim that the person accused of Grand larceny in VA had mere intentions to loot the property only for a temporary period. Stealing of properties for a temporary period is also considered to be a crime, handled at the civil courts, bringing in decreased consequences unlike Grand larceny in VA.
The robbery recorded was a petty theft wherein the value of the property stolen lies below the mandatory values that govern Grand larceny in VA. Therefore, attorneys present legal assessments of the assets stolen. If the judges observe fairness in the estimates presented by the defendants, when compared to that of those submitted by the prosecutions, the defendants are sentenced with penalizations recognized for petty thefts.
Lawyers place arguments claiming the misapprehensions of the defendants regarding the right ownership of the properties stolen. In several cases, the offenders would have taken the property misunderstanding it to be theirs’. Therefore, the intent to rob the property without prior authorization is erased.
Lawyers place arguments claiming that the property was taken as repayment or surety to the debts owed by the victims to the defendants. In these cases, the reported crime is not regarded as Grand larceny in VA.
Attorneys also place justifications arrogating that the asset robbed was abandoned with no proper care at the time of the commission of the alleged crime. Therefore, the recorded perpetration possesses zero grounds to be legally acknowledged as Grand larceny in VA.
Lawyers can also put forth defenses claiming that the accused individual took the property intending to pay for it anytime later.

Importance of lawyers in Grand larceny in VA lawsuits

Individuals accused of Grand larceny in VA should readily contact criminal defense attorneys to ably fight the allegations registered against them. An experienced criminal lawyer at the Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. has the expertise to diligently handle Grand larceny litigations in VA.