Chester County Robbery Lawyer
Like the rest of Pennsylvania, a robbery in Chester County is defined by the severity of a particular theft. For instance, robbery, by definition, is theft with the use of force, no matter how slight. A retail theft, for example, when a security guard is hit by an individual while the person tries to escape the store, can often be described and charged as a robbery.
In addition, an individual can be charged with armed robbery if a weapon is used and/or any sort of force is used, regardless of how minor. Therefore, to avoid a felony charge and conviction for robberies, an individual must understand the law and seek out the services of an experienced lawyer in Chester County. Contacting a Chester County robbery lawyer can help a person ensure that they have the opportunity to combat a robbery conviction and as well as to potentially preserve the person’s record.
Elements of the Crime
In Chester County, robbery and the elements involved in a robbery are similar to those of theft. They are simply defined as a theft that is an unlawful taking from a person and/or a place, however, they also include the use of force, no matter how small.
Robbery charges in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are in order to prevent any sort of forceful taking such as money in a classic gunpoint robbery, or even theft from big box stores where a person takes out a weapon or assaults a security guard while attempting the alleged theft.
In all examples, a robbery is charged because they involve theft, and as such, it is theft with the intention to permanently deprive the rightful owner of an item or items. Therefore, simply put, robbery is a felony in all cases but it is the commission or alleged commission of a theft with any sort of force.
Due to the fact that a conviction of robbery charges is a felony conviction, it is very important that a person facing robbery charges in Chester County contacts a Chester County robbery lawyer right away to make sure that they can work to build a strong defense for their case.
How an Attorney Can Help
For a person to be charged with robbery in Chester County, the prosecutor must prove that the person was committing theft and that there was some sort of force used. Knowing the local courts, the local magisterial district court judges, and the Court of Common Pleas judges in Chester County as well as the police and prosecutors is one way that having the right attorney can attempt to reduce a robbery charge to a misdemeanor or a less charged with theft. Having the right people can assure the charging people are being spoken to and all mitigation is being brought to light at the earliest possible time. In every case where there is proven theft with the use of physical force or menace, robberies are charged. Robberies could be anything from a retail theft where a struggle with a security guard wagers what otherwise could be a summary offense into a felony of the third degree or a gunpoint robbery which could be charged as a felony of the first degree.
In both cases, the matters are treated as felonies and these types of felonies have the potential to ruin a person’s record and reputation. Therefore, having an experienced Chester County robbery attorney can help to level the playing field and can assure the defendant that any possible resolution avoiding felony charges is possible. Mitigation for what would otherwise be charged as a robbery can lead to a disposition, which in some ways does not give an individual a record. If an individual was charged with robbery from a particular location, for instance, they committed retail theft or theft from a box store and while being stopped felt that they were being attacked and as a result, they fought back, the robbery or theft crime to assault to a higher robbery. An experienced robbery attorney can use their knowledge of the Chester County area as well as their experience in previous cases in order to build the strongest defense possible.
When charged with a robbery, the only thing that you have going for you is the right attorney at the right time, thereby, allowing the case not to reach the Court of Common Pleas, and in some case, even being resolved at the magisterial justice level. A robbery lawyer in Chester County can ultimately help you fight the charges against you and pursue the opportunity to minimize, or even eliminate, the penalties you may face if you are convicted.