Matthew J. Ruff Theft Law Blog on Lawyers.com

In California the law recognizes two distinct types of theft classifications, petty theft and grand theft.  As a Los Angeles Petty Theft Defense Attorney, I am frequently asked the distinction between the two and whether if the theft is from a person is it always grand theft.  First, the main difference between the two is petty is a misdemeanor and grand theft is a felony.  The threshold inquiry is the value of the property taken.  Usually, if the value of the item is less than $400 than it is regarded as petty theft and if over than grand theft.

However, if the theft is from the person, say a pickpocket or purse snatch than the offense is always grand theft regardless of the value of the property taken.  I hope this helps clarify the issue for those seeking information.  A lawyer should be consulted to answer specific questions about any given case due to the compexities and intricasies of criminal law it is never a good idea to rely on general information if you are facing theft allegations.