Nevada Petit Larceny Law (NRS 205.240)

Las Vegas Criminal Defense Attorneys

The Nevada crime of petit larceny (also called "petty larceny" or "petty theft") is the illegal taking or shoplifting of another's property when the value is less than $650. Although it's only a misdemeanor in Las Vegas, a petit larceny conviction looks bad on your criminal record and may cause employers not to hire you on that basis alone.

In this article, our Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers explain Nevada petty larceny law as well as how we may be able to get your charges reduced to a lesser offense or dismissed outright so your criminal record remains unblemished. Call us at 702-DEFENSE (702-333-3673) for a free consultation to discuss your case today!

Legal definition of petit larceny in Nevada

The legal definition of petit larceny applies when someone "intentionally steals, takes and carries away, leads away or drives away" any property owned by another person without their consent when the property is valued at less than $650. Petty larceny in Nevada is only a misdemeanor, and the vast number of these cases stem from the following situations:

• shoplifting,



• stealing items from a hotel room where the suspect lodged, and



• taking someone else's pets.

When determining the price of allegedly stolen property in a larceny case, the court shall attribute to it the highest value by any reasonable standard. If the value of the property is $650 or more, then the suspect may face charges of grand larceny in Nevada, which is a felony.

Relation to Burglary

Nevada burglary law makes it a crime to enter any building with the intent to commit larceny inside whether or not the suspect succeeds in taking any property. But if the suspect does steal, he/she may be charged with larceny in addition to burglary and face sentences for both crimes upon conviction. (NRS 205.060)

Defenses

There are various arguments your criminal defense attorney may explore using in fighting a Nevada petit larceny charge, and which ones will prove most effective depend on the facts of your particular case. The following are a sampling of some of these defenses.

• Lack of intent. Since petit larceny is an intent crime in Las Vegas, you may not be convicted of it if you didn't intend to take the property in the first place. There are many cases where shoppers accidentally leave a store without having paid for their merchandise because they were preoccupied and simply forgot to, and in these situations they cannot be convicted of petit larceny because they lacked intent.



• The property belonged to you. You can't be convicted of stealing something that is yours. So your Nevada petit larceny charges must be dismissed if the prosecutor can't prove that you didn't own the property in question.



• There was no taking. The definition of petit larceny in Clark County requires an actual wrongful "taking" of property. If you were given the property (not knowing that it was stolen) or if you legally purchased it, then your petit larceny charges should be dismissed.

Penalties

The Nevada crime of petit larceny is charged as a misdemeanor and carries the following punishment:

• restitution of the items allegedly stolen, and



• up to $1,000 in fines and/or up to 6 months in jail

Burglary

Clark County judges order the following penalties upon a conviction of burglary, which is a category B felony:

• 1 to 10 years (or 2 to 15 years if the suspect possessed a deadly weapon), and



• maybe a $10,000 fine

And if the suspect committed larceny in the course of the burglary and was convicted for both crimes in Nevada, the judge will hand down sentences for larceny as well as burglary.

Plea bargains

As a misdemeanor, petit larceny convictions remain on your Nevada criminal record for at least two years before you may petition the court to seal them. But if it's your first offense, Clark County prosecutors may be amenable to dismissing the case completely or reducing it to something more minor like Nevada jaywalking in exchange for a fine, restitution, and completing "Petit Larceny School," which is a court-ordered education course about shoplifting.

For example, Las Vegas Municipal Court Petit Larceny Program (PLP) consists of up to four two-hour group counseling sessions (or one eight-hour one) where the participants learn about theft crimes, community resources, and the consequences of stealing. The typical cost is $225.

Call us if you've been arrested for theft . . .

For years our Las Vegas criminal defense lawyers have succeeded in negotiating petit larceny charges down to full dismissals or charge reductions. You're welcome to call us at 702-DEFENSE (702-333-3673) for a free consultation to discuss how we can help put this case in the past and keep your criminal record clean.

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