All Charges Dismissed After Client Is Accused Of Petty Theft And Receiving Stolen Property (PC 496(A), PC 484(A)-488)

Recently, a Wallin & Klarich lawyer helped our client participate in a theft education program in lieu of jail time following accusations of petty theft and receiving stolen property. Skilled Orange County criminal defense attorney, Matthew B. Wallin, obtained this outstanding result after conducting extensive negotiations with the district attorney. If convicted of both charges, our client faced up to 18 months in county jail and up to $1,000 in court fines.

“Avoiding a conviction is paramount when representing clients accused of theft crimes,” said Mr. Wallin. “A conviction for a crime involving dishonesty can forever tarnish one’s criminal record and reputation. It can also make it extremely difficult to remain gainfully employed.”

Our client was charged with receiving stolen property (PC 496(a)) and petty theft (PC 484(a)-488). Mr. Wallin met with our client and reviewed the contents of the police report, line-by-line in order to identify weaknesses in the prosecutor’s case. Attorney Wallin emphasized these weaknesses, as well as our client’s lack of a prior criminal record and his contributions to the community in negotiations with the district attorney. Ultimately, the prosecutor agreed to drop both charges in exchange for our client’s successful completion of a theft education program.

Mr. Wallin’s determination in achieving the best possible outcome meant that our client did not have to serve any jail time, pay any fines, or face a conviction on his criminal record.

If you are confronted with accusations of receiving stolen property, it is imperative that you have an aggressive criminal defense attorney fighting for your rights. The attorneys at Wallin & Klarich are familiar with all of the elements that the prosecutor must prove in order to convict you of receiving stolen property. In order to convict you of receiving stolen property, the prosecutor must prove the following elements:

• You received property that had been stolen;

• When you received the stolen property, you knew or reasonably should have known that the property had been stolen; AND

• You actually knew of the presence of the property.

Wallin & Klarich has over 40 years of experience successfully defending clients accused of receiving stolen property. Our attorneys can raise one of the following defenses on your behalf:

• Lack of knowledge

o You may not be convicted of receiving stolen property if you did not know or could not have reasonably known that the property was stolen.

• Innocent Intent

o A prosecutor may not convict you under PC 496(a) if you took possession of the stolen property in order to return it to the rightful owner.

• Lack of legal possession

o You may have a valid defense to a receiving stolen property charge if you can show that did not have legal possession of the stolen property. For example, if you agreed to purchase a computer that you knew was stolen, but changed your mind before picking it up, you did not have legal possession of the stolen property.

Finding Your Criminal Defense Attorney

The experienced attorneys at Wallin & Klarich have been successfully defending clients for over 40 years. Due to our decades of experience, we can aggressively defend you from the first day you retain our office in order to help you stay out of jail. When you are accused of petty theft and receiving stolen property, there is too much at stake to entrust your legal representation to anyone other than an experienced Wallin & Klarich criminal defense attorney.

Our offices are located in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, West Covina, Victorville, Torrance, and Sherman Oaks. Give us a call today at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 to discuss your case. We will get through this together.