Brown: Criminology, 8th Edition


Case Studies

12. Economic Crime

Patrick and Trevor were hanging out at the pier when a woman pulled up to the gas station across the street and entered the convenience store, leaving her car running in the parking lot. While she was talking to the clerk in the store, the boys ran across the street, jumped in the car, and sped off. Several minutes later, when the owner of the vehicle emerged from the store and realized her car was gone, she called the police.

About an hour later, after riding around town and going to see a few friends, Patrick and Trevor pulled back into the parking lot of the convenience store. The owner of the vehicle was still at the store talking to the police, so they pulled the car to the side of the building and parked it. The owner of the vehicle noticed the boys walking across the parking lot and realized they had just abandoned her car. She immediately pointed the boys out to the police. Both Patrick and Trevor were arrested and charged with grand larceny.

Questions

  1. Is grand larceny the appropriate criminal charge for Patrick and Trevor?

    Correct Answer

    No. They should be charged with joyriding or a similar statute. Larceny is not applicable in this situation.

  2. Why should Patrick and Trevor’s legal counsel argue that they are guilty only of joyriding and not of grand larceny?

    Correct Answer

    By returning the vehicle to the convenience store, the boys demonstrated that they did not intend to permanently deprive the owner of her property.

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