Petty Theft
THEFT
Californialaw defines theft as the unlawful taking of another’s property.Californiapetty theft (shoplifting) will be charged when that property is valued at $950 or less. The crime (which is most commonly based on a shoplifting offense) can be committed in one of four ways:
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- by larceny (stealing and carrying away another’s property without consent. This is the most typical form of petty theft, usually seen in a shoplifting prosecution.)
- by trick (for example, changing the price tag on an item to pay a lesser amount for it)
- by embezzlement (this occurs when you decide to deprive another of something after it was entrusted to you. For example, if your boss, the owner of the retail store that you work for, gives you some merchandise to put in the storage room — and instead you put it in your bag to take home — you have embezzled the merchandise), and
- by false pretenses (making false representations to obtain possession and title to money, labor, personal property or land).
