Manassas Armed Robbery Penalties

Armed robbery is a serious offense that can result in a felony conviction. Manassas armed robbery penalties include fines and the possibility of life imprisonment. If you have been charged with an armed robbery offense, consult a knowledgeable armed robbery lawyer that could build a solid defense for you.

Charges of Armed Robbery a Misdemeanor or Felony Offense

The two charges involved in armed robbery are both felonies. That means the person is looking at a significantly more severe punishment if convicted of a felony. They are looking at a loss of their civil rights, including the right to vote and the right to possess or own a firearm.

It also means that they are looking at the consequences practically of a felony, which will make it difficult to maintain employment and seek employment in the future. If a person uses a weapon in a commission, like a firearm, it can be considered armed robbery and can support a charge for both robbery as well as the use of a weapon in the commission of a felony. The harshest penalty that a person might face if charged with robbery as well as using a firearm in the commission of the felony is life imprisonment.

Elements the Prosecution Must Prove

To prove armed robbery, a prosecutor is looking at two different sets of things to prove. First, they have to prove the robbery, which involves the taking with the intent to steal of the personal property from another person either from their person or in their presence against their will by force or threat. In addition, they have to prove that it was accomplished using a weapon. Doing that proves the elements of the second offense.

Building an Armed Robbery Defense

There are a couple of different things that attorneys do to prepare a defense. The first is looking at attacking the evidence that the government has. To do that, they want to understand what evidence that they might use as well as what witnesses they might have and any forensic evidence that they might have. They are also looking to find out if there have been any violations of the civil rights of the defendant. If that is the case, often they can exclude evidence at trial, which may allow them to either reduce the charges or mitigate the Manassas armed robbery penalties that people face.

Why Might an Attorney Encourage a Person to Take a Plea Deal?

A lawyer may encourage someone to take a plea deal under circumstances they believe that a negotiated outcome in the form of a plea agreement gives a potential client the best chance to not have a worse outcome at trial.

Any time a case is tried there are uncertainties, such as what a judge might do, what a jury might do, as well as how the evidence is going to come in, which can be guarded against to some degree but never completely eliminated.

Under circumstances where the attorney believes that there is too much risk at the trial of being found guilty or receiving a harsh sentence, they can sometimes cut their losses by negotiating an outcome that everyone understands in advance.

Hiring a Manassas Armed Robbery Attorney

One of the most important kinds of experience that an attorney can have is local experience. Local experience can allow a person to gain knowledge of the judges, prosecutors, and police.

Having this kind of knowledge can give them a key advantage in selecting the right tactics in the case and in helping you understand what is going to happen in the case. An experienced legal advocate could attempt to mitigate the Manassas armed robbery penalties that you may face.