Los Angeles Robbery Lawyer

California defines robbery as taking personal property from someone else’s person or immediate presence against that person’s will by the use of either force or fear. According to California law, force means any kind of physical force, and fear means making threats to the victim, the victim’s family, the victim’s personal property or someone else who is around at the time of the crime. When someone walks into a convenience store with a pistol and tells the clerk to empty the cash register, that’s a robbery. But robberies in California can also be a bit more complicated than this. Robbery in this state includes:

• Breaking into a house while the residents are inside and then threatening them with physical harm before stealing their property;
• Drugging someone and stealing from that person while he or she is unconscious; or
• Being caught in the act of stealing and then threatening physical harm in order to escape.

If you’re charged with robbery in Southern California, get the legal help you need at once and call the Miranda Rights Law Firm in Los Angeles. California criminal defense attorney Douglas Miranda has defended clients accused of robbery for more than a decade. He has the legal knowledge and experience and you need if you’re facing robbery charges, or similar charges such as armed robbery, grand theft, burglary, home invasion and even white collar crimes like embezzlement or identity theft or credit card fraud.

WHY BURGLARY AND ROBBERY ARE DIFFERENT

If you are charged with burglary or robbery in Los Angeles, arrange at once to speak with an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. Burglary and robbery are serious crimes, and if you are convicted, you’ll face considerable penalties. Although burglary and robbery are related, under California law they are defined differently. What is the legal distinction between robbery and burglary in California and how do prosecutors differentiate between the two?

Under California Penal Code 459, burglary is defined as “entering a structure with the intent to commit a theft once inside.” Forced entry isn’t a requirement of a burglary charge, and neither is an actual theft or robbery. The law specifies “entering” a “structure” with criminal “intent,” and if the state can prove that, the suspect is guilty of burglary. So whereas burglary refers to entering a structure with the intent to commit a crime, robbery refers to actually forcibly committing the theft.

If you are charged with either robbery or burglary in the Los Angeles area, retain legal counsel immediately so you can work with a defense lawyer who can offer sound legal advice and representation in the courts. To convict you, the state must prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and that’s often hard to do in robbery and burglary cases. People are sometimes charged because of misunderstandings, misidentifications, and false accusations. Still, the charges are serious, so you’ll need to contact an attorney who routinely represents robbery and burglary defendants – someone who can bring your case to its best possible conclusion and advocate aggressively on your behalf. If you or someone you love is charged with robbery or burglary in Southern California, call an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney immediately to discuss your case.

ROBBERY PENALTIES

Every robbery in California is a felony. Robbery in the first degree is defined as the robbery of any driver or passenger on a bus, taxi, streetcar, subway, cable car, or other public transportation; any robbery that takes place in an inhabited structure; or the robbery of any person who has just used an ATM and is still in its vicinity. “Inhabited” is defined as any kind of structure that someone is living in, whether they are present or not. First-degree robbery can be punished in California by three to nine years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. If a firearm is used, a suspect faces ten or more years in a California prison.

Second-degree robbery is defined as any type of robbery that does not meet the first-degree robbery criteria. Second-degree robbery can be punished by two to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The charges that you face will also depend on how many victims you allegedly robbed. If you are accused of robbing two separate victims, you will be charged with two counts of robbery, even if you only stole one piece of property total.

You may also face sentence enhancements if you inflict great bodily injury on someone while committing a robbery. This enhancement could add up to six more years onto your sentence. If you use a firearm during the robbery, you could face up to 25 years to life if you caused great bodily injury or death.

If you or a loved one has been charged with robbery, contact an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.

WE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

A robbery charge does not always lead to a conviction. When you work with experienced Los Angeles robbery defense attorney Douglas Miranda, your case will be thoroughly reviewed to determine which defense strategy is best.

You may be able to use the defense that you did not use force or fear during the theft, so it cannot be classified as a robbery. You may have believed that the property rightfully belonged to you, so taking it was not theft. You could be the victim of mistaken identity, or law enforcement could be falsely accusing you of committing the crime. These are just the most common robbery defenses, there are many others available that may fit the circumstances of your case.

Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer Douglas Miranda will protect your rights and work aggressively on your behalf. If you’re charged with robbery in Southern California, he will fight for justice and bring your case to its best possible conclusion.

WE PUT CLIENTS FIRST

If you’re facing robbery charges now or in the future, don’t try to take on the police, prosecutors and courts on your own. Put an experienced LA robbery defense lawyer to work for you. After evaluating your robbery case, Douglas Miranda will explain your legal options and develop the most effective possible defense strategy. At the Miranda Rights Law Firm, we take our responsibility to clients seriously, and we put our experience to work for you. To schedule a free consultation with an experienced Los Angeles robbery lawyer, contact us today. Send an email, or call 213-293-1207. Se habla español.