Shoplifting In California
I been recently charged with 459 PC burglary. Is this considered petty theft? I was charged with about $270 worth or merchandise from a Target store, arrested, spent a night in jail, and bailed out with a bail amount of $20,000 with a bail bond. I am planning to look into a private attorney, but I am wondering if a public attorney would be just as good(since I am a full time student) Also, I would like to know my chances of getting into a deferrment program.
Thank you for your help.
~This is a first time offense
~My court date is at the end of April
Re: Shoplifting In California
An attorney is an attorney. If you can't afford counsel on your own, ask for a public defender.
We can't give you odds on what your punishment might be - that's why you get an attorney.
Re: Shoplifting In California
Here's the burglary statute you're charged under.
Quote:
Quoting California Penal Code Sec. 459.
Every person who enters any house, room, apartment, tenement, shop, warehouse, store, mill, barn, stable, outhouse or other building, tent, vessel, as defined in Section 21 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, floating home, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 18075.55 of the Health and Safety Code, railroad car, locked or sealed cargo container, whether or not mounted on a vehicle, trailer coach, as defined in Section 635 of the Vehicle Code, any house car, as defined in Section 362 of the Vehicle Code, inhabited camper, as defined in Section 243 of the Vehicle Code, vehicle as defined by the Vehicle Code, when the doors are locked, aircraft as defined by Section 21012 of the Public Utilities Code, or mine or any underground portion thereof, with intent to commit grand or petit larceny or any felony is guilty of burglary. As used in this chapter, "inhabited" means currently being used for dwelling purposes, whether occupied or not. A house, trailer, vessel designed for habitation, or portion of a building is currently being used for dwelling purposes if, at the time of the burglary, it was not occupied solely because a natural or other disaster caused the occupants to leave the premises.