In Okmulgee, Oklahoma, the penalty for larceny from a house or dwelling is harsh. Learn more about what constitutes larceny from a house in Okmulgee.
So What is Larceny Anyway?
In Oklahoma, larceny is defined as taking someone else’s property, with the intent to deprive them of it, through the use of fraud or stealth. Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 1701
This is a broadly written statute and it can be construed to apply to a number of situations.
It is divided between petit larceny for amounts under $500 and grand larceny for amounts $500 and above. Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 1703
Prosecutors are able to use this statute in a number of situations. Here are some possible scenarios that could be charged as larceny. A party guest at a public function sees a paperback book that he wants to read, and pockets it without the owner’s permission. This would be petit larceny, or petty theft.
But the same party guest who sees a pair of diamond earrings in the women’s bathroom and pockets them may be guilty of grand larceny if the value of the earrings was $500 or more.
Larceny From a House: A More Serious Kind of Larceny
Larceny becomes a much more serious charge when you commit larceny from a house, dwelling, or vessel. In Oklahoma, larceny from a dwelling is a felony.
Because a person has a right to feel safe in their own home, larceny committed within another’s house or home carries an enhanced penalty — up to 10 years incarceration. Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 1707
Grand larceny normally carries a penalty of up to five years in jail and is committed when the value of the property stolen is $500 or more. Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 1705
In larceny from a house, the value of the item taken is no longer important. It is the violation of a person’s right to peace and safety in their own home that is so important in this crime.
Thus, using the example above, if the same party were now in a dwelling, and a person entered and took either the paperback or the earrings, the result would be the same; a charge of larceny from a dwelling, and 10 years in jail.
Low-cost Consultation: Okmulgee Criminal Defense Attorney
If you or someone you know is charged with larceny from a house in Oklahoma, call 918-756-9600 right away for a initial strategy session with an Okmulgee criminal defense attorney.
You may also send a message to the Wirth Law Office – Okmulgee through this website. All inquiries are confidential.
