Penal Code 504 Translated
People in public life, particularly those in government, are generally trying to do the best they can for the public good. With the increasingly complicated laws in California, as well as Federal laws, people can and do make mistakes. For a public official, being accused of embezzlement can be a career ending accusation. Such accusations can come about because of high levels of scrutiny by the public and by their political rivals. We work quickly with our clients to understand the entire landscape surrounding such accusations. We gather as much information as we can, as quickly as we can, to make the best choices about how to prepare a defense to such accusations. Its only on rare occasions that embezzlement accusations stand alone – other charges are generally involved when someone is accused of embezzlement. Frequently there is also parallel civil litigation. We work closely with co-counsel to make sure our clients are being properly represented and all of their rights are being protected.
Embezzlement By A Public Official Defined
Every officer of this state, or of any county, city, city and county, or other municipal corporation or subdivision thereof, and every deputy, clerk, or servant of that officer, and every officer, director, trustee, clerk, servant, or agent of any association, society, or corporation (public or private), who fraudulently appropriates to any use or purpose not in the due and lawful execution of that person’s trust, any property in his or her possession or under his or her control by virtue of that trust, or secretes it with a fraudulent intent to appropriate it to that use or purpose, is guilty of embezzlement