Larceny or Theft

Larceny is the legal term for theft. It requires the taking or carrying away, from any place, the personal property of another, without his consent, by a person not entitled to deprive the owner of the property. An accused must have had the intent to convert the stolen property for his own use or the use of someone other than the rightful owner.

Grand larceny is felony theft and depends on the value of the stolen property. Laws in some states have varying degrees of grand larceny, all of which are felonies. For example, third degree grand larceny may involve property valued at $500 or more. Second-degree larceny requires that the property have a greater value. Grand larceny in the first degree may not be dependant on the value of the property at all. Instead, it is committed anytime the victim feels that resisting the accused would result in physical injury to herself or her property. For example, the person who robs a theater box office of less than $200 can be charged with grand larceny if the ticket seller's life was threatened with a gun.

Each degree of grand larceny has a corresponding length of maximum incarceration. First-degree grand larceny could mean imprisonment of 15 years or more, depending on the state. If an elderly person is a victim, the degree of severity is elevated in some states. Additionally, a third misdemeanor theft is elevated to a felony larceny charge where the accused has two prior convictions under some state laws.

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