If a Sanford Police officer or Seminole County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrests you for robbery, you need competent advocates and you need them now. A conviction can steal your freedom. You can lose the trust your family and friends have in you, along with voting rights and the ability to own a firearm. Once released from prison, a criminal record will follow you on job interviews and impact your ability to rent a home or secure a bank loan.
It may sound bleak, but it does not have to be. An arrest is a far cry from a conviction, and our highly experienced theft attorneys explore and implement all the options that benefit you. Have faith in The Umansky Law Firm and call our Sanford robbery lawyers today.
Robbery is a theft that involves violence and imposes harsher penalties than theft alone. Under Florida Statutes § 812.13, robbery is committed when you take money or property from another with the intent to keep it, and in the course of the crime you use violence, force, or instill fear, for instance by threatening violence. A violent act can occur either before the property is taken or after for you to be charged with robbery.
Over the years, Florida has enacted laws that are meant to be tough on crime, including widening the definition of what robbery can mean. These include committing a robbery by sudden snatching, such as grabbing a handbag or wallet. Sudden snatching is charged as a third-degree felony, but if a deadly weapon is involved, it is a second-degree felony. Carjacking, like robbery, is a first-degree felony. Robbery committed during a home invasion is also a first-degree felony if the invader intends to rob the homeowner. A Sanford robbery attorney understands the gravity of these charges and will fight on your behalf for the best outcome.
Florida routinely toughens the laws to fight crime. Repeat offenders and those arrested for specific felonies such as armed robbery will no longer be granted pretrial release on bond prior to seeing a judge for the arraignment. Additionally, bond across the state is now standardized, so if you commit robbery in Seminole County, the bond is the same as in Miami-Dade County.
If convicted, the punishment for robbery considers the weapon involved. When a deadly weapon like a firearm or knife is brandished, this first-degree felony can lead to a sentence of life in prison. If the weapon used is not deemed deadly, such as a blunt-edged kitchen knife or common pocketknife, crime is still charged as a first-degree felony with penalties that include up to 30 years in prison and 30 years on probation, and possibly a fine of up to $10,000.
If no weapon is present during the robbery, you can still spend up to 15 years in prison, 15 years on probation, and pay a $10,000 fine. An experienced Sanford robbery lawyer could plant doubt in jurors’ minds, because in felony cases the jury must be certain beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the crime, and if they are not, you must be found not guilty.
You are entitled to present the best credible defense available to you. Our attorneys weigh every fact, opinion, piece of evidence, and statement to build a defense unique to your situation. Common ones include:
Robbery attorneys will build a defense that is in your best interest. Our long track record of successful representation is based on one fact: we win cases.
Whether you are wrongly accused or made a mistake, you deserve and are guaranteed by law the right to be heard before a jury of your peers. We uphold that principle because it is a cornerstone of American justice, due process provided in the Constitution.
Do not risk your future and freedom. Contact The Umansky Law Firm for empathetic and skilled representation. One of our experienced Sanford robbery lawyers will assess your case and get to work on your behalf.
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