Intellectual Property Law

what does criminal possession of stolen property in 5Th mean?

husband was driving a car. pulled over and they found out the plates were stolen and they say it's in the 5th degree? what the meaning of that

Public Comments

1. (1) The value of the property stolen exceeds five hundred dollars; (2) Repealed by SL 1990, ch 165, § 2. (3) Property of any value is taken from the person of another; (4) In the case of theft by receiving stolen property, the receiver is a dealer in stolen property, the value of the property stolen exceeds five hundred dollars in value; or (5) The property stolen is cattle, horses, mules, buffalo, or captive nondomestic elk. Theft in all other cases is petty theft. Grand theft is a Class 4 felony. Petty theft is divided into two degrees. Petty theft of one hundred dollars or more is in the first degree and is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Petty theft is in the first degree and is a Class 1 misdemeanor if the theft is of money or property of any value less than five hundred dollars belonging to a resident or patient of a hospital, nursing facility, chemical dependency facility, assisted living center, development center, human services center, or any residential facility for the mentally ill, mentally retarded, or developmentally disabled and if the theft is committed by an employee of the facility. Otherwise petty theft of less than one hundred dollars is in the second degree and is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
2. It depends on what state you're from. Some states have their statutes on line. If you do a Yahoo search for "criminal possession of stolen property in 5Th <your state's name>" It may give you the actual statute and definition. In some states terms like "in the 5th" refer to a grid level for the offense. In other words, it would refer to how much punishment can be given for the offense.