Grand Larceny Threshold May Increase
Stealing an item worth $200 is a felony in Virginia, but that could change. Freshman Senator Bryce Reeves has two bills proposed to increase the threshold from $200 to $500 or $750.
Stealing an iPod or an iPhone could not only land a person in jail, but it also would likely be charged as a felony, which means a convicted person would lose their voting rights and have a host of other problems in their personal life.
Virginia's threshold for someone to be charged with a felony grand larceny is one of the lowest in the country, if not the lowest. If someone steals an item worth $200 or more, it is a felony. Anything less than $200 is petit larceny, which is a misdemeanor.
Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, has proposed two bills that would increase the threshold for a theft to be charged as a grand larceny. Senate Bills 71 and 72 seek to increase the threshold from $200 to $500 or $750 respectively.
Such a change would have a huge impact on felony caseloads, especially in Fredericksburg, where the city had the most grand larceny charges since 2007. According to Fredericksburg Police Department spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe, there were 115 charges of grand larceny in 2011, which is the most since 2007 when there were 151 charges. Although the total value for each of these grand larcenies is not known, it is fair to say that the number of felonies would be less if the threshold were increased then.
"The Police Department has not taken a stance on the pending or proposed legislation regarding this issue, nor do we intend to," Bledsoe wrote in an email.
Fredericksburg Commonwealth's Attorney LaBravia Jenkins said she isn't aware that commonwealth's attorneys in Virginia are taking a position on the bills, but increasing the threshold would be more realistic.
"During these times, $200 is not what it used to be," she said.
New York and North Carolina both have the threshold at $1,000 before a theft becomes a felony, unless a gun is among the items stolen. California's threshold is $400 and Alaska's is $500. Other state's theft laws can be found here.
Attempts to find out from Reeves why he submitted the bills have not been successful. A legislative assistant wrote to Fredericksburg Patch on Jan. 12 that Reeves planned to drop the bills when they got to a subcommittee, but additional questions have gone unanswered since then.
TPKeller
3:24 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
As I commented previously on this issue: To add a little further to the discussion, probably the most important reason to support this bill is the preservation of civil rights.
From Wikipedia we learn that felonies were originally defined to be only the most serious types of crime: "The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods......"
In the United States, along with the most severe punishments (death or more than one year in jail), convicted felons are also deprived of several basic civil rights, including the right to vote, obtain certain professional licenses, possession of firearms and ammunition, service on a jury, and others.
These punishments are certainly suitable for the most serious crimes, such as murder, rape, arson, robbery, etc, but shoplifting a shirt and a tie hardly rises to the level of such severe punishment.
Don't get me wrong, I am not at all soft on crime, or criminals. Criminals make life harder for everyone else. But I do strongly believe that the punishment should fit the crime especially where civil rights are concerned.
If a felony conviction is all that is required to take one's civil rights, then as the government lowers the bar for defining a felony, everyone's rights are at risk. How long will it take until we become the France of Les Misérables, where the theft of a loaf of bread haunts a man for the rest of his life?
Dan Morris
6:12 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012
I think this bill is a fine idea. It doesn't take much to get $200 worth of merchandise, certaily less than what should be a felony. $1,000 limit wouldn't be too much, in my opinion.
d
9:07 am on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
I think that punishment does fit the crime If you lessen the severity of the charge then crime increases in the amount of theft because they are misdemeanors. The bill should have addressed the seperating of the civil rights from the punishment no one should lose their right to vote and if someone has reformed and earned a degree then they should have a professional license they shouldnt be allowed to have guns and ammunition and if this bill is passed it should incorporate to reinstate the rights that were taken away from so many others that are now productive contributing members of our society.If you are convicted of a felony you can still get a job as a senator. that is outrageous but this bill needed to address more then the threshold of the monetary definition of a felony charge.
rick barasso
5:01 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Politicians and your lobbyist get in line.
You're about to do some major time.