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Accusations of robbery could lead to felony charges

On Behalf of | Jan 18, 2019 | Uncategorized

If you find yourself facing criminal charges, you may wonder just how serious your predicament is. Of course, you should take any type of criminal charge seriously, but some may come with more severe potential consequences in the event of a conviction. Because of the immense differences in allegations, it is important that you understand any with which authorities have charged you.

If police have leveled charges for robbery against you, you certainly face a serious situation. Felony charges apply in robbery cases, which means that the possible repercussions are more serious than those for a misdemeanor charge. In efforts to properly address your case, you may want to gain more information on robbery charges in Florida.

Elements of a robbery

Many people may think that theft, burglary and robbery are interchangeable terms. However, they are not. Each type of crime has its own elements, and robbery is a more serious crime than theft. Elements of a robbery include the following:

  • Intent: Evidence must show that you had the intent to temporarily or permanently take control of property and deprive the owner of that property.
  • Taking: Evidence must also show that you did take property from another person without his or her consent. You must also have taken the property from a place within the person’s control, directly from the person’s body or within the immediate vicinity of the person.
  • Property: The property you allegedly took must have some value, even if it is low.
  • Force or threat: This element in particular distinguishes robbery from other similar crimes. Evidence must show that you took the property by intimidating, threatening or using physical force to make the person fearful.

In Florida, specific types of robbery exist, and while these four elements are still a requirement, other elements may also need proving in order for a charge for a specific type of robbery to apply. Some of those types of robbery include carjacking, robbery by sudden snatching and home-invasion robbery.

Defending against charges

Handling felony robbery charges is undoubtedly intimidating. Fortunately, you do have criminal defense options available to you. Finding the right course of action for your case could help you effectively defend your innocence. Enlisting the help of an experienced attorney could allow you to gain reliable and applicable information for your case as well as have an advocate on your side throughout your criminal proceedings.