Charlotte Robbery Lawyer

If you have been arrested and are facing charges for Charlotte robbery, burglary, property crimes, or other theft crimes, then you may be wondering what the future implications might be for your life and what strategies you can use to fight the charges. Fortunately, a Charlotte robbery lawyer from The Law Office of Kevin L. Barnett can work with you to mount a strong defense against your charges. Our firm can optimize your Charlotte criminal robbery case outcomes.

Our North Carolina criminal law office has years of experience working with clients who have been accused of robbing other North Carolinians. Because robbery crimes are considered to be dangerous and violent crimes, the penalties can be serious. A defense attorney from our firm can leverage their negotiation and persuasion skills to work toward getting your robbery charge reduced or dropped.

What Is Charlotte Robbery?

Robbery is classified as a theft crime in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it is a form of larceny that involves intimidation or assault. A person who commits robbery must take the property of another individual while the individual is present. Robbery is considered to be a more serious crime than larceny.

When an individual commits robbery, and they are armed with a weapon, it can be charged as armed robbery, which would result in even more severe penalties. If you are being accused of having stolen property in the presence of another individual with force, then a Charlotte criminal lawyer can support you in building up a strong and consistent defense.

Proving Robbery in North Carolina

Robbery in North Carolina is specifically defined as forcefully taking the property of another person off their body or in their immediate presence by using intimidation or force. For theft offenses to be considered robberies, the stolen goods must be taken against the will of the other person, and the accused must have been aware that they did not have permission to seize the property.

To prove whether a robbery crime has been committed, it’s required that the following elements be evident:

• The accused seized the property of an individual in their presence.
• The accused then took the property away from the scene of the theft.
• The victim did not give consent to have the property taken away.
• The accused had the intention of permanently depriving the victim of the property at the time that the crime was committed.
• The accused used intimidation or violent means to seize the property that did not belong to them.

A Charlotte criminal defense lawyer can help you strengthen your robbery case defense by proving that one or more of these elements were not present during the time of the alleged crime. They could also show that there is insufficient evidence to prove that one or more of these elements existed.

Common Law Robbery Penalties

Robbery is a serious crime in North Carolina, and the exact penalties that a defendant can potentially receive depend on the details of their crime, including their criminal record, the value of the stolen property, and the means of violence or intimidation.

If an individual is charged with common law robbery, then this is considered to be a Class G felony crime. If convicted of a Class G felony, a person can spend 8 to 47 months in prison. If the defendant has no existing offenses on their criminal record, then they might be able to serve alternative sentencing as opposed to time in jail.

Charlotte Armed Robbery

Armed robbery crimes are also felonies, which involve a robbery offense with the presence of a dangerous weapon or firearm. If the firearm or weapon is utilized during the robbery, then this can greatly aggravate the charges and result in more severe potential penalties for the defendant.

It’s important to note that location has no impact on whether an armed robbery was committed or not. For example, such a crime can take place in a residence, banking institution, or business, and it will still be considered the same crime. However, the presence of an individual is mandatory, with their life threatened or endangered by the use of a firearm during the robbery.

Proving Armed Robbery in North Carolina

To be convicted of armed robbery, there are multiple elements that must be proven to have existed during the alleged crime. These elements include all those that are related to common law robbery, plus the following:

• The accused was in possession of a firearm or dangerous weapon at the time of the robbery, or there appeared to be the presence of such a weapon.
• The accused seized the property that did not belong to them by threatening or putting the lives of those present in danger by utilizing a weapon or firearm. If they did not actually have the weapon, they were able to convince the victim that they had one.

Because many elements must be proven in an armed robbery case, there is a lot of room for the prosecution to make mistakes. A robbery attorney from The Law Office of Kevin L. Barnett can support you with a compelling defense. They can also work toward getting your charges reduced or even dropped.

Charlotte Armed Robbery Penalties

Armed robbery crimes are more serious than common law robbery crimes. In North Carolina, an armed robbery is considered to be a Class D felony, which can result in a prison sentence of 38 to up to 160 months, depending on the details of the case and the defendant’s criminal record. If found guilty of a Class D felony, it is not possible to avoid jail time.

Proving an armed robbery requires having tangible evidence that the defendant committed robbery with the use of a dangerous weapon or firearm. An experienced criminal lawyer can gather all evidence, including police reports, video footage, and bystander testimonials, to find weaknesses in the prosecution’s case.

North Carolina Attempted Armed Robbery

It’s important to note that an attempted armed robbery is deemed by North Carolina law to be just as serious as a successful armed robbery, in which the victim is permanently deprived of the seized property. To prove that an individual is guilty of North Carolina attempted armed robbery, the following elements must be present: 

• The accused had the intention of robbing an individual by seizing their personal property in their presence. They also had the intent to permanently deprive them of it without having their consent. Furthermore, they knew that they were not supposed to do so.
• The accused had a firearm or other dangerous weapon on them during the alleged robbery.
• The accused utilized or threatened to utilize the dangerous weapon during the alleged robbery to threaten the victim’s life or put it in danger.
• The accused had plans to carry out the robbery with the dangerous weapon and, if the robbery had not been stopped or hindered, it would have been successfully carried out.

To prove that an individual committed attempted armed robbery, it’s important to note that their intention to do so must also be proven. This can be difficult to successfully demonstrate in a court of law. A criminal law attorney can help find weaknesses in the prosecution’s case against you while building a strong defense.

Charlotte Attempted Armed Robbery Penalties

It’s important to note that a person convicted of attempted armed robbery will be subject to the same penalties as an individual who was convicted of armed robbery. They will be charged with having committed a Class D felony, which comes with a requirement to serve time in jail. An offender has the potential to serve anywhere between 38 and 160 months.

Collateral Consequences of a Robbery Crime Conviction

In addition to penalties brought on by the state of North Carolina, there are additional collateral damages that can arise as a result of being convicted of robbery charges. Convicted felons face difficulty pursuing certain job opportunities, as potential employers usually run background checks, and they can be stripped of certain occupational licenses.

Additionally, it can be difficult to pursue certain housing opportunities, as landlords and agencies are usually hesitant to rent to convicted felons. Furthermore, banking institutions may hesitate to give out loans for pursuing housing or occupational opportunities.

For education, many individuals can lose the ability to pursue higher education as well as certain scholarships and grants. Additionally, they lose access to their right to bear arms and vote. Because there are so many consequences related to a robbery conviction, it’s important to work with a criminal lawyer who can defend you from the start. That way, they can work toward achieving more optimal outcomes for your case.

Protect Yourself and Your Rights With a Charlotte Robbery Lawyer

Robbery is automatically considered to be a felony crime, and if you are accused of armed robbery, then the associated penalties are even more severe. Therefore, if you are facing robbery charges, it’s important to act fast and work with an experienced lawyer who can skillfully defend you.

The robbery lawyer at The Law Office of Kevin L. Barnett is ready to listen to your questions and concerns, analyze the details of your case, and start building a strong defense strategy. Get in touch with a member of our team today to get started.