What is used to set the level of offense for theft?

• A. The time since offense
• B. The Value Ladder
• C. The owner's consent
• D. The type of property

Answer: (B)

The level of theft charges is driven by the value of what was stolen, using a Value Ladder that maps dollar amounts to different offense levels. As the value increases, the charge escalates from petty theft to higher offenses like grand theft or a felony class. The other factors listed don’t determine the base level: time since the offense doesn’t change the offense level, owner’s consent isn’t a determining factor, and while certain property types can affect penalties in some rules, the standard way to set the level is the value of the property.