Establishes the crime of aggravated grand larceny as grand larceny in the fourth degree involving a motor vehicle.
Summary
This bill creates a new felony offense called aggravated grand larceny. A person would commit this crime when they commit grand larceny in the fourth degree under subdivision eight of Penal Law section 155.30 and have a prior conviction within the previous five years for the same offense. The new offense is classified as a class D felony.
The bill also makes related changes to criminal procedure law so that this offense is treated more seriously at various stages of the criminal process. It adds aggravated grand larceny, and in some places the underlying fourth-degree grand larceny offense, to provisions governing bail, release conditions, and youth court removal. It also amends sections dealing with pretrial release and family court transfer to make these offenses qualifying factors that can limit release or prevent removal to family court.
Impact
The bill would amend the Penal Law and Criminal Procedure Law to elevate repeat fourth-degree grand larceny involving a motor vehicle into a separate class D felony and to expand the list of offenses that can affect bail, pretrial detention, and youth-part transfer decisions. It would give prosecutors and courts additional authority to treat repeat motor-vehicle larceny cases as more serious offenses, and it would affect defendants charged with these theft-related crimes, especially those with recent prior convictions.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill received meaningful support in committee but not unanimous agreement, with the Assembly Codes Committee voting 14-6 to hold it for consideration. That indicates the proposal was taken seriously and had some backing, but it also faced notable resistance. No transcript excerpts are available, so the broader discussion record is limited.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be whether repeat grand larceny involving a motor vehicle should be elevated to a new felony and used as a basis for stricter pretrial and youth-court treatment. Supporters likely view the bill as a public-safety and deterrence measure aimed at repeat theft offenders, while opponents may be concerned about expanding criminal penalties, increasing detention exposure, and limiting judicial discretion for theft-related conduct. The committee vote split reflects that the proposal was not consensus-driven.
Includes aggravated threat of mass harm, making a threat of mass harm, aggravated harassment in the second degree, harassment in the first degree, menacing in the third degree, menacing in the second degree, menacing in the first degree, and aggravated harassment in the first degree in being eligible for bail; makes aggravated threat of mass harm and making a threat of mass harm eligible to be considered hate crimes; increases the penalties for aggravated threat of mass harm and making a threat of mass harm.
Crimes and punishments; decreasing threshold amount for grand larceny offenses; felony penalty for third and subsequent petit larceny convictions; effective date.