California Penal Code Section 470

Definition

Forgery under California Penal Code Section 470, is a criminal offense and it is normally filed as either a misdemeanor or felony. Forgery is when someone deliberately defrauds a document or forges the signature of another, without their consent.

Example

A common example of forgery is when someone tweaks a notarized document for their gain.

Elements of the Crime

In order to take an Forgery CPC 470 case to trial, certain elements of the crime will have to be proven. This may include one of the following:

·         That the defendant imitated someone’s signature and did so without their consent

·         The defendant altered or corrupted an official document

·         The defendant reproduced or reconstructed an official document

·         And – the defendant did one of the above deliberately to deceive

Punishments for CPC 470

These penalties are to be determined by a judge and he/she will make a decision based on the circumstances surrounding the case.

When found guilty of Forgery, it is usually filed as either a misdemeanor  or felony, which includes:

Misdemeanor charges for Forgery include one year in jail and a one thousand dollar fine

Felony  charges for Forgery include up to 16 months, two or four years in prison and a ten thousand dollar fine

Legal Defenses for California Penal Code 470

A good lawyer can present many legal and valid defenses for Forgery charges under California Penal Code 470 to prove someone’s innocence. MacGregor and Collins is based in Orange County, California, and has successfully defended  those who were falsely accused of Forgery. Call (949) 250-6097 to speak to a lawyer, should you be on trial for Forgery.

Learn more about other California Section Penal Codes here.