Following a robbery charge, it is important to get in touch with a skilled robbery lawyer. The penalties for robbery can be quite severe and have life-changing consequences. Even if a person is charged with theft, they should still consider hiring an attorney because ultimately theft, while not as serious as robbery, is still a serious charge. Grand larceny can still lead a person to jail for 20 years, is still a crime of moral turpitude, and can still have the person on probation. A person still may lose their rights. Not only will an attorney understand the difference between a robbery and theft charge in Virginia, they could also use that knowledge to negotiate robbery charges down, and build a solid defense. If a person has been charged with robbery, they should speak with a knowledgeable robbery attorney that could advocate for them.
One difference between a robbery and theft charge in Virginia is that robbery adds the extra element of essentially fear. When one is dealing with a theft case, the only thing that is there is a taking as far as against the other individual. There is fear here, but there is no fear of hurt. However, with robbery, that added threat, that added force, that added intimidation practically leads the citizens of Richmond in fear of bodily hurt.
When one shifts the theft crime to a robbery, not only does a person have the fear of losing their property for one reason or another but the person also now has the added additional fear of physically harming people. When one adds that initial fear of physically harming people by means of threat, by means of force, or by means of intimidation, now the Commonwealth goes from protecting property to protecting people. Whenever people are being threatened, especially in a way that can lead to death or serious physical injury, the prosecutors and the judges are going to take the case more seriously. An individual is going to be sentenced more severely, an individual will be looking at a lot more time, and the consequences are going to be much harsher.
Whenever an individual contacts a lawyer in a robbery or otherwise, it is going to be imperative for them to have the who, what, when, where, and how of the particular situation. It is important to know who was allegedly robbed, how they are robbed, and when the robbery occurred.
If the person does not know because they did not commit a robbery, then they can and should convey that information. It is important to be as honest as possible because lying to the attorney will only hurt the defendant in the long run.
A person should contact a lawyer the moment that they are contacted by the police in any way, shape or form. An attorney will be able to understand the difference between a robbery and theft charge in Virginia and could use that knowledge when building a person’s defense.
The moment that an individual is involved with police, it is imperative for a person to work with an attorney that could protect the defendant from either saying or doing anything that can ultimately lead to a conviction of a robbery or theft for that matter. If someone has been charged with a robbery offense, they should consult a skilled lawyer that could fight for them.