How To Avoid A Theft Crime Conviction in Los Angeles
I've been practicing criminal defense in the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles for nearly twenty-five years. I've noticed that the authorities are usually particularly harsh for theft crimes – wanting a conviction and wanting the person to get booked so that if they get a future theft crime, the police, the prosecutors, and the judge can see it.
However, recently, the Governor of California has, combined with Propositions, eased up on theft-related offenses.
There is a program, and I've used it a lot in the San Fernando Valley called the Neighborhood Justice Program. It allows a person who is a first-time offender to steal, and the value of the stolen merchandise is $500 or less, to avoid even getting the case filed against them.
Many people say I want a dismissal, but it's even better if the prosecutors don't file the case. Then there's nothing to dismiss, and this Neighborhood Justice.
The program is definitely the way to go. I recently spoke to one of the individuals in charge of it because I always try to get my clients who qualify for this program.
He indicated that, basically, for two months, the person obviously has to comply with them. There is a meeting. They sit down and go over everything. They discuss the case. A lot of times, the person writes an apology letter.
Sometimes, they will make them do community service, which has a small charge, but in reality, beyond the community service, this Neighborhood Justice Program—to prevent a theft crime from being filed against you—is free.
So, you want to get a theft crime attorney to get this together to avoid a conviction for a theft defense. This will hurt you in the long run.
How To Get Into Neighborhood Justice Program
Once I'm hired on a case, I often send a letter to the prosecutors indicating that I think my client should not be prosecuted for a theft crime. I include character letters.
I will include anything related to school or a job. I just recently was called by someone in charge of the Neighborhood Justice Program—basically, one of the filing deputies for the City Attorney's office who typically prosecutes misdemeanors in Los Angeles, specifically theft-related offenses—who referred the case to them and went over all the ins and outs of the program.
So, it is crucial to try to avoid a conviction because having a theft crime conviction on your record makes it extremely difficult to get a job and be successful in the future.
So, there's more than one way to get a dismissal when it comes to a theft-related offense in the San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles, but this Neighborhood Justice Program is certainly a good one. It can be applied to by first-time offenders, and I've had a lot of success with these types of programs.
There used to be another program called the APS Program. It got the same result—no filing. So, this Neighborhood Justice Program in the San Fernando Valley should be utilized. If you've got a theft-related offense and you need help, give me a call. We'll sit down and go over everything.
We'll get everything together, and I will do everything I can to help you get into this Neighborhood Justice Program or get a result that will dismiss the case and protect your record.
In these cases, we often perform damage control. So, make the call now, and I will take care of your theft-related offense.
