Robbery is defined as a crime of theft plus the use of force, which is usually going to be intimidation, actual force, or the threat of force. It is more severe than theft because of the violence involved.
A robbery or left conviction can affect your reputation and possibly lead to jail time. Hire a skilled robbery attorney when you are building a Virginia robbery defense. A criminal lawyer can help you understand the local laws.
When a person is facing robbery charges, an attorney might have them take a plea deal if the person is facing mandatory minimum time, and if they go to trial and lose because the evidence is strong against them. A Virginia robbery lawyer understands how to best negotiate during plea deals and can work on a person’s behalf.
If the prosecution is willing to break it down to something that does not carry mandatory minimum time and the likelihood of winning at trial is slim, a person might consider taking an offer because they can avoid the guarantee of jail time or prison time in order to get a better outcome. An attorney can act as a good reference for deciding whether or not to take a plea deal.
When defending a person charged with robbery, a criminal lawyer might compile things like eyewitness testimony, video evidence, sometimes forensic evidence like DNA. An attorney can find an alibi, any type of alibi witnesses. They can find evidence on the severity of the crime, whether or not anybody was injured. A lawyer can know if there are other charges that are brought along with the robbery. They can know the potential consequences, and whether or not there are any discretionary issues or other evidentiary issues.
There are benefits to hiring a local criminal lawyer. A lawyer is going to know the lay of the land. An attorney is going to know the prosecutors, the defense attorneys, the potential consequences, what a jury is likely to do, what arguments work and do not work in that jurisdiction, and what realistically will happen to the client in their case. Attorneys have crucial skills building a Virginia robbery defense.
A person can negotiate a robbery charge down to a theft charge. Sometimes if there is some evidence that is weak and the person has a great background, or if there are other mitigating factors that a defense attorney can bring up. Somebody would absolutely want to negotiate robbery down to theft because robbery does have a mandatory minimum of two years. Since robbery does have a mandatory minimum, it could be five years to life. An attorney can negotiate something that could potentially result in probation.
You should contact a criminal lawyer immediately when you come into contact with a law enforcement officer. If you are going to be charged with robbery or if you are arrested, you should call a lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney can help you when you are building a Virginia robbery defense.