PC 487 Wobbler

Clearing a grand theft conviction

Grand theft is the charge where doing things in the right order matters most. A reduction before a dismissal can turn a felony record into a misdemeanour one; the other way round achieves much less.

What makes this charge different

• Proposition 47 reclassified theft of $950 or less, so the alleged value in the charging document is the first question
• It is a wobbler, so the PC 17(b) reduction is available even where Proposition 47 is not
• Grand theft is a crime of moral turpitude, which weighs heavily with licensing boards and in immigration
• Theft from an employer frequently appears alongside an embezzlement count, and the two clear differently

What this charge is

Penal Code 487 makes theft grand theft where the property is worth more than $950, or where it is a firearm, a vehicle, or taken directly from a person. It is the charge that turns an ordinary theft into a felony record.

Felony or misdemeanour?

Grand theft is a wobbler, which is the most important fact on this page. A felony conviction can be reduced to a misdemeanour under Penal Code 17(b) if the court agrees.

Which relief applies

Two routes, and they are not alternatives so much as a sequence. If the value was $950 or less — and the alleged value is sometimes lower than the charge suggests — Proposition 47 reclassification may apply. If not, the 17(b) reduction may still be available because the offence is a wobbler. Either way, the dismissal under 1203.4 comes afterwards.

The thing to watch out for

Order of operations. Filing the dismissal first leaves you with a dismissed felony; doing the reduction first leaves you with a dismissed misdemeanour. On a form that asks about felony convictions specifically, that is the whole difference. This is the main reason we bundle the two.

The law that applies

• Felony reduced to misdemeanour (PC 17(b)) — For an offence that could have been charged as either a felony or a misdemeanour — a wobbler — the court can declare it a misdemeanour for all purposes.
• Proposition 47 reclassification — It lets a person who has completed a sentence for a qualifying felony apply to have the conviction designated a misdemeanour.
• Expungement (PC 1203.4) — The court lets you withdraw your plea or sets aside the verdict, then dismisses the case, which releases you from most of the penalties of the conviction.

Our flat fee for a case like this is $999, all in, with the court filing fee included. What that covers.

Legal information on this page was last checked against primary sources in October 2026. California law changes; if you are reading this long after that date, confirm before you rely on it.