Fast responses, clear guidance, and immediate action when your case can’t wait
Our San Diego theft defense attorneys build your defense before a shoplifting stop becomes a felony filing.
Key Takeaways:
A San Diego theft case usually starts small: a $60 item, a security tag, a stop at the door. Where it ends up, misdemeanor or felony, depends less on what was taken and more on a single number and on whether this is the first time someone has been stopped for it.
At the Law Offices of Anna R. Yum | Criminal Attorneys, our San Diego theft defense attorneys include a former prosecutor who knows which details in a theft file matter to a judge or a DA. With more than 50 years of combined trial experience and attorneys available 24/7, we can start on your case right away.
Book your free consultation to talk through the details of your theft arrest before anything else moves forward.
A few factors decide whether a theft charge stays a misdemeanor or becomes something far more serious:
San Diego County runs a dedicated Organized Retail Theft Task Force that has already prosecuted hundreds of defendants, and prosecutors have become willing to file on repeat offenders even when the item itself is cheap.
Our experienced San Diego theft defense attorneys check which statute is cited on the report before recommending next steps.
Once we know exactly what’s being alleged, we look at how the case can realistically resolve.
A dismissal is possible when the value of the property cannot be proven, or when the state’s case relies on a single, uncertain witness identification.
A negotiated plea to a lesser charge, such as trespassing, can sometimes resolve a theft arrest without a theft conviction on the record at all.
Diversion or informal probation is often available for a first arrest with no prior theft record, allowing the case to close without the same lasting consequences.
A jury trial remains an option when the evidence of value or intent does not hold up, particularly in cases built on store security footage alone.
We look at each of these paths with you and help identify which one truly fits your arrest, not simply the charge written on the report.
Anna R. Yum spent years deciding which theft and property cases the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office would file. That’s still how she reads a case today, looking first at what a prosecutor can actually prove.
William Sharp spent nearly twenty years as a deputy public defender in San Diego, and his read on a case starts with the same question a judge will eventually ask.
Marissa Mendoza has built a track record of dismissals and reduced charges in property crime cases, often by pulling store surveillance and loss-prevention paperwork early.
Whether it’s a first stop or a repeat felony filing, that’s the team our San Diego theft defense attorneys put on every case.
A theft charge can move from a citation to a filed case faster than expected, and the earlier we review the police report and any video, the more options usually stay open.
Most clients get a clear read on where their case stands during that first call, before anything has been filed in court.
Book your free consultation with our dedicated San Diego theft defense attorneys today to talk through your arrest and what comes next.
I can’t thank Logan enough for the help and support he provided during a very difficult time for our family. He represented my son in a criminal case and was incredibly helpful from the very beginning. Logan was not only knowledgeable and…
This is the second time the Law Offices of Anna Yum help me out with a DUI offense. Logan helped me out on my case and managed to get my second DUI reduced to a wet reckless. During this hectic time, this team made communication & paperwork…
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