Under California law, simply borrowing an item without asking isn’t a crime in most cases as long as the “borrower” intends to return the property. But the state handles the taking modes of transportation quite a bit more seriously than other types of property, which is why joyriding crimes do not require the prosecutor to […]
If You Return Someone’s Property, Can You Avoid Criminal Charges?
As a child, everyone learns that borrowing without asking and borrowing without returning an item are both considered stealing the item from the owner. But from a legal perspective, things aren’t so clear cut. That’s because California’s theft laws require someone to intend to either permanently take an item or at least take it long […]
