California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Hussain, 179 Cal.Rptr.3d 679, 231 Cal.App.4th 261 (Cal. App. 2014):
"The claim-of-right defense provides that a defendant's good faith belief, even if mistakenly held, that he has a right or claim to property he takes from another negates the felonious intent necessary for conviction of theft or robbery." ( People v. Tufunga (1999) 21 Cal.4th 935, 938 [90 Cal.Rptr.2d 143, 987 P.2d 168] .) "Stated simply, a claim of right to take disputed property negates the criminal intent necessary for theft. [Citation.]" ( Barnett v. State Farm General Ins. Co. (2011) 200 Cal.App.4th 536, 544 [132 Cal.Rptr.3d 742] .)
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