San Bernardino County Theft Crime Attorneys

A San Bernardino County theft crime conviction can have serious consequences. It may lead to a jail or prison sentence, probation and/or fines depending on the nature and circumstances of the crime and the value of the property taken. A theft crime could also remain on your criminal record eroding your credibility and adversely affecting your ability to find a good job or progress in your career. This is why, if you have been charged with theft in San Bernardino, you need skilled representation from an experienced and knowledgeable San Bernardino criminal defense attorney, who can help defend your rights and make your side of the story hear. The San Bernardino criminal defense attorneys at Wallin & Klarich have been defending the rights of clients accused of theft crimes for the last 30 years.

California law defines theft as the unlawful taking of someone else's property with the intent of keeping it permanently. It also includes fraudulently taking property that has been entrusted to you, defrauding someone using false representations or pretense, taking property by false premises, larceny, embezzlement and larceny by trick and device (California Penal Code Section 484). California law broadly categorizes theft into petty theft, which involves goods or services valued at $400 or less and grand theft, which involves goods or services valued at $400 or more.

How a prosecutor will charge you depends on your prior criminal record. If you have two violent felonies or "strikes" on your record, a theft charge could become a third strike sending you to prison for the rest of your life under California's Three Strikes Law. A misdemeanor petty theft conviction carries up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both. If the value of the stolen property is less than $50 prosecutors may charge an infraction, which is a lesser offense than a misdemeanor, which carries only a fine of up to $250. Grand theft is punishable by up to one year in jail or 16 months in state prison or two to three years in prison. Grand theft of amounts more than $50,000 carries an additional punishment of one or two additional years in prison.

The skilled San Bernardino County theft defense attorneys at Wallin & Klarich have helped first-time offenders with no prior theft charges reduce their charges or punishment. If you have been charged with felony grand theft, we help reduce that to a misdemeanor and by requesting the court to consider probation instead of jail time. In many San Bernardino County theft cases, we have also been able to successfully request alternative sentencing for our clients such as community service, house arrest or electronic monitoring, Caltrans work programs and private counseling services. If you have been accused of a San Bernardino County theft crime, please call Wallin & Klarich as soon as possible to discuss how our experienced criminal defense attorneys can help build a winning strategy to fight your charges.