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

Petit larceny captures low-value thefts to reflect proportionality in criminal enforcement: when the property value or circumstances do not meet the thresholds for grand larceny, the theft is classified as petit and punished less severely.

Demonstration

Removing an inexpensive item from a general-merchandise shelf and leaving the store without paying, where the item's retail value falls under the jurisdiction's petty-theft threshold.

Misapplication

Treating repeated small thefts as automatically petit larceny without considering aggregation rules or continuing course of conduct doctrines that may elevate multiple acts into a single grand larceny offense.

Consequence

Conviction for petit larceny generally yields shorter jail terms or fines, diversion options, and less severe collateral consequences, but repeat offenses or statutory enhancements can increase penalties.

Reversal

The reversal is grand larceny — higher-value thefts or those involving specified property or aggravating circumstances that merit felony treatment.

Boundary

Petit larceny excludes thefts exceeding statutory monetary thresholds, thefts of specified high-harm items, and thefts by persons in positions of trust where different charges (e.g., embezzlement) may apply.

Semantic Tension

Petit larceny contrasts with shoplifting and summary theft categories: shoplifting may be defined by venue and method, while petit larceny is value-based; jurisdictions differ on whether the categories overlap or displace each other.

Synthesis

Petit larceny is the statutory or doctrinal category for low-value, non-aggravated thefts: it preserves proportional punishment for minor theft while leaving open mechanisms to escalate penalties for repetitive or aggregated misconduct.