Theft Crime Attorney in Los Angeles

Theft - Misdemeanor vs. Felony Charges

Any criminal theft charge can cause serious problems. You could go to jail or prison, face significant fines, and/or be required to pay restitution. The moment you know you are under suspicion or if you have been arrested, contact misdemeanor or felony lawyers who will protect your rights. Our firm serves clients throughout the greater Los Angeles area who have been arrested or charged with misdemeanor or felony theft. We take on all types of cases of this kind and are ready to see how we can assist you.

With a Los Angeles theft crime lawyer at our firm to represent your interests and protect your legal rights, you have the chance to avoid a conviction that may seriously change your life. You probably realize that a felony theft charge is far more serious than a misdemeanor theft charge. A felony charge usually means time in a state prison. A misdemeanor charge can mean jail time or probation with public service. A felony charge may also add to any Three Strike offenses you may have on your record.

Facing misdemeanor or felony theft charges in Los Angeles? Call today!

The felony and misdemeanor theft defense lawyers at Takakjian & Sitkoff are former deputy district attorneys. This gives us experienced insight into how and why charges are filed.

• We will investigate the charges against you and ensure that your Constitutional rights were respected in any search and seizure. If there is a question about how the police investigated your case, we will move to have the charges dismissed.
• In your case, there may be an issue with the Statute of Limitations. If it has been a long time since the alleged theft, the charges can be dismissed for a violation of the statute of limitations. On a misdemeanor theft or fraud case the misdemeanor statute of limitations is generally three years. The statute of limitations is a "time limit" for the police and prosecutor to file the theft or fraud charges with the court. It is said that the issuance of an arrest warrant "tolls," or complies with, the statute of limitations. However, if the case was filed in time but not "served" or the person named in the warrant is not arrested in a timely manner, or if not effort was even made by the police to serve the warrant, the fraud or theft case may be eligible to be dismissed. This is called a Serna motion. We have been very successful in having our client's theft cases dismissed.
• Depending on the facts of the case, we will work toward having the charges reduced to a lesser charge and, if possible, from a felony to a misdemeanor.
• If you have prior Three Strikes offenses, we will challenge those Three Strike offenses and look for reasons to reduce the charges from a felony to misdemeanor.
• If you plead guilty or if you are found guilty, our primary objective will be to keep you out of jail.

Your initial consultation is free and completely confidential. Contact a Los Angeles theft crime lawyer at our firm to find out how we can help in the face of your felony or misdemeanor charges.