Theft & Fraud
5 articles on theft & fraud from Gavel Daily.
Inside an Embezzlement Case, From the Employer's Audit to Restitution
Most embezzlement cases begin with an internal audit or HR meeting, not an arrest. Here is how the case moves from that first interview to charging, plea talks, sentencing and restitution, and the choices that shape the outcome at each stage.
How a Real Warrant Reaches You (and Why It Never Calls)
A caller says there is a warrant for a missed court date and a payment will clear it. Real warrants are signed paper in a court file, served by mail, in person, or by an officer. Here is how the document is created, how a missed appearance actually escalates, and the free clerk of court check that tells you where you stand.
Should You Pay the Letter a Store Sent After a Shoplifting Stop?
A letter demanding a few hundred dollars after a shoplifting stop is not a fine or a court order. Learn what paying does and does not do, what ignoring it risks, and when to call a lawyer first.
The Dollar Line Between Misdemeanor and Felony Theft, State by State
The same item taken from the same shelf is a misdemeanor in one state and a felony across the state line. Here are the verified dollar thresholds in seven states, plus the three mechanisms that move a case over the felony line no matter what the receipt says.
Prosecutor Disqualification Is the New Defense Move: Why the Santa Clara DA Removal Just Opened a Playbook for Every Politically Charged Case
On May 7, 2026, a Santa Clara judge threw the entire DA's office off a retrial of five Stanford protesters after finding the prosecution had been wired into a campaign fundraising page. Here is the legal mechanism, the discovery it pries loose, and how defense lawyers are turning recusal motions into a weapon in politically charged cases.