Manassas Armed Robbery Lawyer

Robbery is a crime of violence. It is defined as the taking of property by use of force or threat of force. In Virginia, there is not a separate statute for armed robbery, just the 18.2-58 Section, which concerns robbery in general.Armed robbery can be defined as committing robbery or taking property by partial strangulation, suffocation, striking, beating or any other violence to the person, or putting that person in fear of serious bodily harm or threat of presenting firearms or deadly weapons.

There is no separate element of armed robbery that elevates it or separately punishes it in any way. Regardless, armed robbery is still considered a felony offense and can have serious consequences. If you have been charged with armed robbery it is imperative that you consult a qualified robbery attorney. Consult a Manassas armed robbery lawyer and know that you are in capable hands.

Arraignment Process

One reason to work with a Manassas armed robbery lawyer early on is so they can attend the person’s arraignment. Arraignment is a procedure by which the court tells the defendant what they are being charged with, that they have a right to hire a lawyer, and what the trial date is.

From a practice point, it is helpful to appear at that arraignment if the lawyer is able to speak with the government and see what kinds of evidence are there ahead of discovery and the formal exchange of information. It is a practical point that ends up being in the defendant’s favor if they are able to bring somebody quickly in the case.

Sentencing for Robbery Offenses

Any person found guilty of robbery would be found guilty of a felony and punished by confinement in the state’s correctional facility for life or for a term not less than five years. If the person was armed or deadly force was used to carry out the robbery, the judge would take that into account when sentencing an individual. The person could be facing confinement for life or the minimum of five years, but there is not a separate element for armed robbery.

Consequences of an Armed Robbery Conviction

Robbery is a very significant charge. It is a felony charge. If a person is convicted of a felony, it would stay on their record forever and severely affect their chances of work or finding employment under certain circumstances. It is a crime of violence and a crime of honesty due to the taking of property element.

It does also result in a person losing their liberty and being locked up for at least five years. As the code explains, there is a mandatory minimum time if a person is convicted of robbery, which is five years. For that reason, a person should consider consulting a Manassas armed robbery lawyer. The defendant needs to be able to find an attorney that can analyze the prosecution’s argument for weaknesses and can also attempt to mitigate the severity of penalties that the person may face.

Collecting Evidence to Build a Defense

Any person facing a robbery charge should consult a Manassas armed robbery attorney while the evidence is still available and new. There could be witnesses that saw what happened. There could be surveillance cameras or anybody that took a videotape of what was going on. That information should be preserved and later subpoenaed on behalf of the client.

A lawyer could ensure that those possible pieces of evidence are preserved and witnesses are contacted and asked to stay in town until the court date is found out. An attorney would be able to pinpoint what those pieces of evidence are and make sure that they are preserved.

The accused should be prepared to explain in detail what happened at the incident in question, who was present, what were the circumstances surrounding that charge, who was present in terms of witnesses or people that saw what happened, who is able to testify, who the victims are if the person knows, and if the incident was captured by any camera or surveillance.

Importance of Disclosing Your Personal Record

Individuals facing armed robbery charges should also be prepared to explain, if they have any criminal history, what it is and what is involved. They should elaborate a little bit about what those prior charges or convictions are and be prepared to explain the story from their side, including what drove them to do what they did and what was happening on their side. It is important for individuals to be honest about their immigration status, because an armed robbery conviction could affect a person’s status in the United States.

Necessity of Contacting a Lawyer

If you have been charged with robbery, you should contact a Manassas armed robbery lawyer right away for a number of reasons. One is that a lot of times a person charged with robbery ends up being held in custody and needs somebody to prepare and file a bond motion on their behalf to get them out on bond. Not only can a skilled attorney do that, they could also collect existing evidence in order to build your defense and can use their connections with the local courts in an attempt to mitigate the penalties you face. Work with a qualified defense lawyer and know that you are in good hands.