Richmond Auto Theft Lawyer
Auto theft refers to the theft of a motor vehicle and is also referred to as grand larceny. It can be a serious offense, sometimes resulting in up to 20 years of jailtime. If you have been charged with stealing a motor vehicle, consult a Richmond auto theft lawyer. A qualified theft attorney may have experience defending these charges and can use their knowledge when building your defense. Work with an attorney that can try to achieve a positive outcome for you.
Richmond Laws Concerning Auto Theft
In the State of Virginia, there is not a different set of elements from auto theft and the normal, basic larceny. When someone is dealing with auto theft, what someone is going to be looking at is the taking of something belonging to another but the taking must be done with the intent to permanently deprive the individual of that thing. When someone is dealing with auto theft, the taking, of course, must be of an automobile.
18.2-95 is the same law that is about grand larceny. At a technical level, an individual can be charged with petty larceny if they have taken an automobile that is worth less than $500. Rare is the time where an automobile is old, raggedy, and beat up. Most cars are worth at least $500. Since most cars are worth at least $500, most auto thefts deal with grand larceny charges. When someone is dealing with auto theft, once again, the taking must be of a car, the car must belong to another individual, and the intent must be done to permanently deprive them of that vehicle.
What Makes Auto Theft Unique From Larceny?
What makes auto theft different from just standard larceny is that the taking must be done of an actual automobile. It cannot be a scooter or a golf cart. It has to be a legitimate automobile that can be operated on the public highways of Virginia as opposed to theft, which is a taking of anything.
As opposed to robbery, Richmond law says it has to be a taking of an automobile that does not involve the element of threat, force, or intimidation and there is not the involved element of taking from the presence of somebody or from their person.
Potential Penalties For Auto Theft
When someone is dealing with auto theft charges, like any other theft charge, someone is dealing with a serious offense. It can carry up to 20 years in jail. An individual can lose the right to vote, the right to possess a firearm, and might have to pay $2,500 in fines. To put it simply, the charges are quite serious.
Someone is dealing with a huge offense, an individual does not want to go about the situation in a nonchalant manner and without a professional who knows how to handle these types of offenses because if they do, it can lead to dire results for the defendant and not the Commonwealth. A Richmond auto theft lawyer can mitigate the potential penalties that a person may face.
Contacting an Auto Theft Attorney
The moment that an individual has police contact, they should contact a Richmond auto theft lawyer whether this is during the commission of a crime. IIf an individual has stolen a car and they are at home and the police come to arrest them, they should contact a lawyer.
If someone contacts an individual saying that they are investigating the theft of a car, contact a lawyer. The moment that an individual is of the understanding that the police want to speak with them, want to take them into custody, or want to arrest them for some reason or another in reference to or because of an auto theft, it is going to be beneficial for a person to contact a lawyer. An attorney can attempt to build a solid defense for the accused and can fight to ensure that they receive a fair trial.
