Orange County Burglary Lawyer

Contact Us Now to Discuss Your Burglary Defense Strategy

If you have been arrested for this crime or are under investigation for burglary, you need a qualified, experienced, and aggressive Orange County burglary lawyer on your side. The Law Office of Jacqueline Goodman can provide you with the aggressive representation you need to protect your rights and freedom.

Get legal advice right away if you have been charged with burglary. Schedule an initial consultation by calling (657) 571-2266 or filling out an online contact form today.

What Is Considered Burglary in California?

Some people interchangeably use the terms “burglary” and “robbery,” and while these offenses can in some cases be interrelated, they are two distinct crimes with entirely separate criteria. Robbery involves theft using force. Burglary involves entering someone else’s residential building, commercial building, or locked vehicle with criminal intent. Burglary does not necessarily involve theft.

Someone can be charged with and convicted of burglary even if they do not actually carry out a crime after entering a building or locked vehicle. Simply entering the building or locked vehicle with criminal intent is enough to meet the offense’s criteria and trigger charges. With that said, a person has not committed burglary if they carry out a crime after entering a building if they did not enter the building with criminal intent.

“Criminal intent” applies to all felony crimes, including those that do not involve theft. This means that someone can be charged with burglary if they enter someone else’s building with the intent to commit murder, for example. An Orange County burglary attorney can evaluate the specific charges brought against you and look for weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.

How Is Burglary Charged in California?

In California, burglary can be a first-degree or second-degree offense. The classification will depend on the type of building the defendant allegedly entered with criminal intent.

A person can be charged with first-degree burglary if they enter a residential, or “inhabited,” structure, such as a:

• Home
• Hotel room
• Apartment
• Tent
• Trailer

Someone can be charged with first-degree burglary even if no one is “inhabiting” the residential building at the time the alleged offense occurred. If the defendant entered a home with criminal intent while its inhabitants were at work, for example, they can still face first-degree burglary charges.

Someone can be charged with second-degree burglary if they enter a commercial, or “non-inhabited,” structure, such as a:

• Store
• Office
• Warehouse
• Barn
• Storage container

Note that burglary charges are separate from shoplifting charges. In California, a person will only be charged with shoplifting (instead of burglary) if they enter an open business intending to steal merchandise valued at $950 or less.