Grand Theft Auto Defense Attorney Los Angeles

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Grand Theft Auto Defense Attorney Los Angeles

If you or a loved one has been charged with grand theft auto (GTA), you should immediately contact Grand Theft Auto Defense Attorney Los Angeles at The H Law Group to defend you and keep you from going to jail. You should not take grand theft auto charges lightly as a conviction for grand theft auto can result in imprisonment for up to three years in California State Prison.

So, if you’ve been charged with stealing an automobile, you should immediately contact a Los Angeles Grand Theft Auto Defense Attorney at The H Law Group to defend you. Our attorneys have the knowledge and experience to achieve the best possible outcome for you. Schedule your free consultation today by filling out the contact form below or by calling us at 1 (213) 370-0404.

WHAT CONSTITUTES GRAND THEFT AUTO IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA?

Grand Theft Auto is a crime that’s committed when a person takes another person’s automobile without the automobile owner’s consent to do so, with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of his automobile.

If you have been charged with grand theft auto, you should hire an experienced Los Angeles Grand Theft Defense Attorney at The H Law Group. Our attorneys may be able to have your grand theft auto charges reduced into the lesser included offense of joyriding, which refers to the unlawful taking of a vehicle.

This offense is punished less harshly than grand theft auto. For grand theft auto, the prosecution must prove that the defendant intended to permanently deprive the automobile owner of his car; however, to convict a defendant of unlawful taking of a vehicle, the prosecution need only prove that the defendant intended to temporarily deprive the automobile owner of his car.

PROVING A PERSON GUILTY OF GRAND THEFT AUTO IN LA

For the prosecution to convict a person of grand theft auto in violation of California Penal Code Section 487(d)(1), it must prove a number of elements beyond a reasonable doubt. If the prosecution fails to prove even one element, it will not be able to convict the defendant of grand theft auto.

The prosecution must prove the following elements:

  • The defendant unlawfully took the automobile of another person
  • The defendant did so with the intent to permanently deprive the automobile owner of his car

Note: Grand theft auto (GTA) is a wobbler, meaning the prosecution has the discretion to charge it as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances of the crime.

The two main factors that weigh in on the prosecutor’s decision as to whether file misdemeanor grand theft auto charges or felony grand theft auto charges is (1) the value of the automobile that was stolen, and (2) the defendant’s criminal record and whether he has previously been convicted of automobile theft.

Grand theft auto is a felony offense; however, the prosecution has the discretion to lower the charge into a lesser included offense of joyriding, which is the unlawful temporary taking of a vehicle (Penal Code Section 10851 PC). Usually, the prosecution may reduce the GTA charges into Joyriding charges if the defendant intended to return the automobile to its owner.

If you have been charged with grand theft auto or joyriding in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the State of California, you should immediately contact an experienced Los Angeles Grand Theft Defense Lawyer to defend you and keep you from going to prison for a very long period of time.

GRAND THEFT AUTO DEFENSES IN LOS ANGELES, CA

If you have been charged with grand theft auto in Los Angeles, CA, there are a number of defenses that your attorney can make to defend you and keep you from going to prison for a very long period of time. Please note that the following list of potential defenses is not inclusive of all of the defenses that your attorney can make, but rather serves as a list of some of the defenses your attorney may be able to make.

  • The defendant did not have the intent to permanently deprive the automobile owner of his car
  • The automobile belongs to the defendant
  • The automobile owner consented to you taking his automobile
  • The defendant was falsely accused of grand theft auto
  • The defendant is a victim of mistaken identity

Note: Other defenses may apply to your case, but the only way to know which defenses apply is to hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer to examine the facts of your case. Once an attorney examines the facts of your case, he can recommend the best defense strategy to you.

CONTACT EXPERIENCED GRAND THEFT DEFENSE ATTORNEY LOS ANGELES

If you or a loved one has been charged with grand theft in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the State of California, you should immediately hire an experienced Los Angeles Grand Theft Auto Attorney to represent you and fight for you in court. Our attorneys have handled thousands of cases, so they have the knowledge and experience necessary to achieve the best possible outcome for you.

Hire an attorney at The H Law Group and rest assured that your future is in great hands. Schedule your free consultation today by filling out the contact form below or by calling us at 1 (213) 370-0404.