California Penal Code
Penal Code § 484 Petty Theft
Defines theft as feloniously taking the personal property of another with intent to deprive them of it.
Statute text, verbatim
What the code actually says
The verbatim text for this section is being re-verified. Read it on the official California legislative site in the meantime.
Read on leginfo.legislature.ca.govReport readiness
What a report needs to survive this charge.
Knowing the code is the easy part. Cases get kicked when the narrative never documents an element the prosecutor has to prove.
Elements to document
- Property belonging to another was taken
- The taking was without consent
- Intent to deprive the owner was present
- The property was moved, however slightly, and value is documented
Common report defects
- Property value is never established with a receipt or owner statement
- Owner's lack of consent is assumed instead of documented
- Asportation - any movement of the property - is not described
Abbreviated for reference. Report960 runs the full element and defect checklist against your narrative and quotes the exact passage behind every finding. This page is not legal advice.
Related sections
Charges that travel together.
Check a Penal Code § 484 report
Every element, checked.Every finding, quotable.
Paste or upload your narrative and Report960 flags the petty theft elements you left undocumented, grounded in the verbatim statute above.