Hanover Robbery Lawyer

There are a lot of elements in a robbery charge and the charges can get complicated, which is why someone facing these charges needs a lawyer that is organized. They also want somebody who is confident, who knows their ability, and who is bold. A Hanover robbery lawyer must be able to look at all the different elements of the particular situation and be ready to argue in order to help their client with their case.

An individual should contact a Hanover robbery lawyer immediately upon learning that there is a charge against them. In fact, if the police contact someone in reference to a robbery, even if there is not an active warrant for their arrest, it would be important to contact a lawyer at that time.

If someone has an active warrant or has been arrested for a robbery, they should immediately contact a lawyer and let them know the incident date. They should also share copies of paperwork that they were given at the time of the arrest or when they go to turn themselves in. They should also share all they know about the incident, including who the victim is, what they are claiming was taken, and where the event took place.

Elements of Robbery in Richmond

The elements of robbery are straightforward. They include the taking of another person’s property without permission by the means of threat, force, or intimidation. In order to get a conviction, a prosecutor must prove that the individual took something or tried to take something knowing that whatever was going to be taken did not belong to them. They also need to prove that the taking was done by threat, force, or intimidation.

The main difference between robbery and theft are the elements of threat, force, and intimidation. Those elements, combined with a taking, are going to be the main difference between a simple theft and robbery.

Robbery is considered to be more severe because it is a crime of violence while theft is considered more of a property crime.

Consequences of These Charges

If convicted of robbery, the consequences range from five years to life. The maximum penalty is life in prison without parole.

Robbery is a felony offense, there is no misdemeanor robbery. As a consequence, if someone is convicted of a robbery, they lose their right to vote and their right to possess a firearm. After a robbery conviction a person is viewed by the court as a threat to the community, which decreases their likelihood of getting bond in subsequent criminal matters, and subsequent convictions will yield more jail time.

Preparing a Defense

The first thing that a robbery attorney in Hanover will need to figure out is who the alleged victim is. They need to determine if it is person to person street robbery, or a store or bank robbery. The identity of the victim will change the way the attorney prepares their case.

Statements are critical evidence. They convey who the witnesses are, what they say happened, and the statements that they made to the police. Photo line ups are also valuable evidence, especially if there are identification issues. If this a street robbery, the attorney would also want to know where it occurred and if there were any cameras around there that captured the events.

Benefits of an Experienced Hanover Robbery Lawyer

It is important to hire an attorney with experience because the consequences of a robbery are very high. Only capital crimes, which can lead to the death penalty, carry higher penalties than robbery. Since robbery carries a penalty of life in prison, it is important to work with a Hanover robbery lawyer who knows what they are doing and has the experience to handle their client’s particular robbery charge.

An experienced attorney may be able to leverage their experience into a reduced charge. The prosecution does not want to lose, and might offer a better deal to someone who is well-represented. Besides reducing a robbery to a grand larceny or even a petty larceny, an experienced attorney may be able to get the charge dismissed.

The juries, the judge, and the trial court are all very important in a robbery case. A local attorney is going to be familiar with the jury pool and the local judges, and can assess their client’s case, and let them know exactly what to expect.

Negotiating Down to a Theft Charge

When the Commonwealth is missing the element of threat, force, fear, or intimidation, a robbery attorney in Hanover may be able to negotiate a theft charge for a robbery charge. They may also be able to negotiate when the Commonwealth has a lack of credible witnesses or not necessarily enough witnesses to show the essential elements of the threat, force, fear, and intimidation.

A theft charge carries a considerable amount of time; a felony theft carries 20 years, a misdemeanor theft carries up to 12 months in jail. A person will want to hire a lawyer to help them throughout that process.

Taking a Plea Deal

The only time to consider taking a plea deal is when the individual is comfortable with the plea deal and the evidence against them is strong enough on the Commonwealth’s side to make a plea deal a reasonable decision.