If an individual has been charged with a robbery offense, they should consult a knowledgeable robbery lawyer. An attorney could devote the time and resources necessary to build a person’s defense. An experienced legal advocate could attempt to mitigate the Fairfax robbery penalties that an individual may face.
When proving a robbery offense, the prosecutor needs to prove that the person committing the crime, the defendant in the case, intentionally took property from somebody in their presence and they did it against the victim’s will by force, threat, or intimidation. Aggravating factors in robbery cases include whether weapons were used, if there were injuries and how they were caused, if the person was convicted of multiple felonies convicted at the same time, and what the amount of money/value of items taken is.
Robbery differs from theft because there is that additional force, threat, intimidation, or act of violence element to it. It is theft plus. It has to be a person. The person has to know that they are getting robbed and there has to be some type of force, threat, or intimidation that goes along with the theft.
Attorneys might be able to negotiate a robbery charge down to a theft charge when there are weaknesses in the case, when there are certain defenses that are going to be helpful, when somebody has a clean record, and when somebody is able to either flip or give testimony to help the conviction with an accomplice perhaps. There are many times and many different ways that somebody could negotiate it down to a theft charge, but it is going to depend on the facts and circumstances of the case.
In Virginia, robbery carries a potential sentence, depending on the factors associated with the case. If a weapon is involved there is going to be more mandatory minimums. If there is some type of weapon involved and somebody is injured there is going to be a separate type of sentencing. It could be, at minimum, five years and, at maximum, up to life in prison.
A criminal lawyer might encourage a person charged with robbery to take a plea deal when it is the best outcome for their client. For some people, the best outcome is avoiding jail time at all costs. For other people, the best outcome is reducing the charge to a misdemeanor theft charge. For others, the only outcome might be to take it to trial and win. Attorneys doing these types of cases need to weigh all of the possible outcomes and potential Fairfax robbery penalties, with the facts of the case in order to determine the best possible outcome.
If a person is charged with theft, robbery, or any of the charges in the State of Virginia that carry jail time, they should consider hiring an attorney. It is a criminal conviction that is going to change an individual’s entire life if they are convicted, and that is outside of the fact that they could spend years in jail or years in prison, depending on what their charge is.
A criminal conviction could change one’s life. On a misdemeanor level, it could prevent a person from getting certain jobs and pursuing certain careers. On the felony level, the person will lose their right to vote, right to bear arms, and right to receive certain types of public assistance. It will have a significant impact on one’s future if convicted. A person needs somebody who is fighting for them and not going to let them take a conviction or be behind bars without fighting for them in a very zealous way. A skilled attorney could mitigat the Fairfax robbery penalties that an individual may face.