Just pulled up FLORIDA's sentencing guidelines for auto theft, I doubt if anyone spends a day in prison once the court case is pleaded down, and the suspect's unfortunate life is dramatized to the judge:
FLORIDA LAW
Motor Vehicle Theft (under $20,000): Felony in the Third Degree; up to 5 years in prison and/or fines up to $5,000.
Motor Vehicle Theft (between $20,000-$100,000): Felony in the Second Degree; up to 15 years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000.
And here is the law in kali, SO DAMN WEAK!!
4. Defenses to Grand Theft Auto
If the person taking the car did not intend to permanently take it from its true owner (or take the car for so long that the owner suffers a loss) then he or she would not be criminally liable under the grand theft auto statute. However, they still may be guilty of joyriding under California Vehicle Code 10851 VC. In addition, if the defendant had permission or consent to take the vehicle, he or she would not be guilty of grand theft auto.
5. Penalties
Grand theft auto is considered a “wobbler” offense that can be filed by prosecutors as either a felony or a misdemeanor. If filed as a felony, the maximum penalty one could receive is three years in prison. If charged as a misdemeanor, the maximum penalty is a year in jail. If the value of the vehicle stolen is above $65,000, an additional year in prison can be added to any sentence. If the value of the vehicle exceeds $200,000, the defendant may face an additional two years in prison.
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