Theft charges involve stealing someone’s personal property without permission, but laws and penalties vary by jurisdiction. Intent and force used in the theft can also affect the charge. Different types of theft have different penalties, with grand theft resulting in longer prison sentences.
A charge of theft is a formal charge of one type of theft. It means that a person is accused of stealing someone else’s personal property without her permission. Laws regarding allegations of theft can vary, however, depending on the jurisdiction. There are other types of theft charges that are not considered theft.
A person commits theft by stealing someone else’s property. This means that he takes physical control of it or takes possession of it. For example, if a criminal steals a person’s purse from a shopping cart and flees with it, many jurisdictions consider such theft because it involves three things: taking control of another’s property, taking the property without permission, and taking it out of that possession of the person.
Most places have strict rules for what can and cannot be considered theft. For example, a criminal may take a bag that was unattended but be caught before being able to take it away. In that case, he might not get a theft charge because he didn’t take it away. The same goes for a criminal who knocks a wallet out of his victim’s hands but fails to pick it up and runs away with it. He cannot be accused of theft.
In some cases, the crime an individual is accused of depends on the force used in the theft. Violent burglaries are not considered theft in some places. For example, shoplifting is considered theft in many places, but hitting a victim with a weapon and stealing their belongings might be considered robbery instead. In that case, the penalty for robbery would usually be more severe than the penalty for a theft charge.
Intent is also important when it comes to a theft charge. In many places, the thief must have the intent to permanently retain the victim’s property, sell it, or otherwise dispose of it. This does not include cases where an individual takes someone else’s property because he believes it belongs to him. If, for example, an individual picks up another person’s wallet and takes it away because it appears to be theirs, this would not be considered theft.
Some places have different laws and penalties for different types of theft charges. For example, theft of a small amount of money or property of low monetary value may require the criminal to spend a few weeks in prison. Stealing a large amount of money or property that has a high monetary value can be considered grand theft. In some places, people convicted of grand larceny can spend years in prison.
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