Theft cases seem to be in the news more and more with the poor economy. Most recently, Democratic Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi (from Castro Valley) was charged with felony grand theft in San Francisco, California. The Castro Valley assemblywoman was allegedly caught on video surveillance stealing more than $2,000 worth of merchandise from San Francisco’s Neiman Marcus. The Assemblywoman has been in office since 2006 and she is also married to Judge Dennis Hayashi. Judge Hayashi is an Alameda Superior Court Judge and he is active on the bench and in the community.
The Assemblywoman was stopped by Neiman Marcus’ loss prevention on Tuesday after she left the store without paying for certain items that she had in her possession. She was carrying a shopping bag with three items worth more than $2,000 that did not have a receipt. The items were a black skirt, leather pants, and a white blouse.
The Assemblywoman is facing grand theft charges. The maximum exposure for these charges is three years of state prison. However, it is likely that she will not be facing the maximum punichment because this crime is her first arrest. Further, the assemblywoman is claiming that she did not know that she failed to pay for the items. Rather, she intended to pay for the items but forgot to put them on the counter and pay.
Theft crimes are serious and can carry many years of prison depending on the number of priors that a defendant has, the cost of the items stolen, and the status of the defendant (whether he is on parol or probation…).
If you have been arrested for theft crimes, it is important that you speak with an experienced criminal defense attorney to minimize the amount of exposure you could be facing. If you have been arrested in Northern California for a theft crime, give Bob Mortland a call for a free no obligation initial consultation (510) 463-1643..
In addition to theft crimes, Mr. Mortland also handles numerous other crimes that have been on the rise with the poor economy. The most common crimes that we see are DUI’s, battery, domestic violence, traffic tickets, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license (CVC 12500 or CVC 14601.1), expungements, and theft of all varieties (Grand theft, larceny, larceny by trick, receipt of stolen property, petty theft, embezzlement, petty with a prior…)