What this charge means
Larceny is Connecticut's word for theft: taking property you know is not yours, intending to keep it from the owner. The statute sweeps in shoplifting, keeping something you found, not returning leased equipment, writing bad checks, embezzlement, and receiving stolen goods. For most people reading this page, the arrest was for shoplifting at a store.
The degree of the charge depends almost entirely on the dollar value of what was taken, and the difference between degrees is the difference between an infraction-adjacent misdemeanor and a felony. Store loss prevention totals the tags; the police charge from that number. Whether that number is right, and whether the state can prove intent, are where these cases are defended.
Two things people are often surprised by. First, you can be charged for leaving the store without paying even if you never left the parking lot; concealing merchandise is enough under the statute. Second, the store will likely send you a civil demand letter asking for money, and paying it does not make the criminal case go away, just as ignoring it does not add a criminal charge.
The statute
Larceny is defined in Connecticut General Statutes section 53a-119, a long definition section listing every form of taking, including shoplifting at subsection (9). The degrees are set by sections 53a-122 through 53a-125b, and for typical cases the degree turns on value: over $20,000 is first degree; over $10,000 is second; over $2,000 is third; over $1,000 is fourth; over $500 is fifth; and $500 or less is sixth. Certain takings jump degrees regardless of value, such as taking from the person of another, which is second degree even for a wallet.
Section 53a-119a lets store employees detain a suspected shoplifter for a reasonable time to await police. Section 52-564a gives the store a separate civil claim against an adult shoplifter, which is where the demand letter comes from, and section 52-564 allows treble damages for theft in a civil suit. Neither civil statute is part of the criminal case.
How penalties are set
The sentence follows the degree. Sixth and fifth degree larceny are low-level misdemeanors, fourth degree is a Class A misdemeanor, and third degree and above are felonies with exposure that climbs by class. The table on this page shows each degree, its class, and its range.
For a first shoplifting offense at the misdemeanor level, the realistic outcomes are a diversionary program, a nolle, or a plea to an infraction-level resolution, not jail. The felony degrees are different cases entirely, and repeat convictions escalate: the statutes treat persistent larceny offenders more harshly, and a third conviction can be charged at a higher level.
A larceny conviction of any degree is a crime of dishonesty. That label follows you into job applications, professional licensing, security clearances, and immigration proceedings, and for many first offenders it is the real stake in the case.
How diversion works
Accelerated Rehabilitation under section 54-56e is the standard route for a first shoplifting or larceny charge. You apply in court, the judge sets a supervision period with any conditions, and the charge is dismissed on completion. It is available once, and the felony degrees at Class B are outside it.
For young adults, the Youthful Offender status for defendants under 18, and for defendants with psychiatric disabilities the Supervised Diversionary Program under section 54-56l, can apply in the right case.
The civil demand letter has no diversion program because it is not a charge. Many people pay a few hundred dollars thinking it resolves the case, then learn the court date still stands. Talk to your attorney before responding to it.
What happens at arraignment
For a misdemeanor shoplifting arrest you were probably released at the store or the station with a summons and a court date two to four weeks out. Check in with the State's Attorney's office when you arrive. The judge confirms the charge and sets a new date; a diversion application is usually raised at the first or second appearance.
If the store banned you from the premises, honor the ban. Coming back while a case is pending invites a trespass charge under section 53a-107 and makes every conversation with the prosecutor harder.
Bring your arrest paperwork and a photo ID. If you received a civil demand letter, bring that too, and do not pay it or respond to it before you have talked to an attorney.