As noted in Thomas Lifson's article, the Riverside district attorney filed a criminal complaint (People v. Macias) against the student perpetrator of a politically motivated assault on the UCR Campus.  Riverside County prosecutor was my profession.  At the time of my honorable retirement, I was supervisor of the Gang and Homicide Units of the southwest part of the county.  As such, I have some knowledge and expertise regarding criminal law and filing procedures.  The charge filed against Macias is commonly referred to as "grand theft from person."  The gravamen of the offense in this case is not the monetary value of the item taken, but the fact that it was taken "from the person of another."  Grand theft from person is said to be a "wobbler" in that it can be filed either as a misdemeanor or a felony.  The Riverside filing deputy exercised a degree of leniency and consideration toward Macias in that they opted...(Read Full Article)