A property offense involving unlawful taking, appropriation, retention, or control over another’s property or value. It is defined by the required intent and by value thresholds or property types where applicable. It does not include lawful claims of right or conduct that does not satisfy the required intent element. It protects ownership interests and commonly drives restitution, forfeiture exposure, and sentencing outcomes. The concept is generally stable, though value thresholds and grading schemes are revised over time.

Principle

Grand larceny classifies thefts as more serious when the stolen property's value exceeds a jurisdictional threshold or when the item or method triggers statutory elevation (e.g., theft of firearms, theft from a dwelling), reflecting legislative judgments about harm severity.

Demonstration

Stealing jewelry or electronics whose combined retail value surpasses a statutory threshold — the high value elevates the offense from petty to grand larceny, carrying felony exposure.

Misapplication

Applying a uniform national threshold or equating grand larceny across jurisdictions without checking local statutes; value cutoffs and qualifying circumstances differ by law and over time.

Consequence

A conviction for grand larceny produces more serious sentencing consequences (longer imprisonment, greater fines), enhanced collateral consequences (loss of certain rights), and larger restitution obligations than petty larceny.

Reversal

The reversal is petit (petty) larceny: lower-value thefts or minor statutory breaches that are prosecuted as misdemeanors or summary offenses with lighter penalties.

Boundary

Grand larceny covers tangible property above statutory value thresholds or specified items; it excludes low-value thefts, some de minimis losses, and non-tangible misappropriation unless statute explicitly includes them.

Semantic Tension

Grand larceny intersects with statutory 'theft' schemes, felony larceny labels, and item-specific crimes; courts must resolve whether to apply value aggregation rules, identify applicable thresholds, and distinguish between cumulative acts and single transactions.

Synthesis

Grand larceny is the legally elevated category of larceny triggered by value or statutory aggravators: when theft meets defined thresholds or criteria, it becomes a more serious felony-level offense with commensurately harsher legal consequences.