Connecticut Robbery Defense Lawyer
In Connecticut, robbery is taking by force something that you have no right to. Purse snatching, holdup, bank robbery, and carjacking are all examples of robbery. Robbery differs from larceny in the element of force. If someone leaves a purse unattended and you use the opportunity to take it, the crime would be larceny. If you pushed or punched someone to take the purse, you would be charged with robbery. Force doesn't have to be physical force. If you show a gun or threaten someone verbally, you would be charged with robbery.
I'm John Walkley, a robbery defense lawyer in Monroe, Connecticut, serving people in New Haven by appointment. People who are charged with robbery are concerned both about prison time as well as having a conviction on their record. All robberies are felonies in Connecticut. If you are convicted of a felony, you can't vote, hold public office, or own a firearm. You wouldn't be eligible for certain government entitlements. In addition, obtaining a good job in the future would be difficult, since employers usually conduct background checks of potential employees.
If you are charged with robbery, it is difficult to get in and out of court without going to jail. Because robbery involves the use of force against another person, it is difficult to obtain plea bargains with prosecutors. That doesn't mean there are no defenses. One possible defense is mistaken identity. At other times, your attorney simply has to negotiate the best possible result for you. If everything else fails and you cannot accept an offer that is being made by the state prosecutor, you have the right to a trial and to confront your accusers. I can handle that kind of trial for you.
Sometimes innocent people are charged with robbery. I once represented a taxi driver who was charged with robbery simply for picking up a passenger who was charged with armed robbery of a store. He was charged as an accessory, which carries the same consequences as being a principal. In this case, I was able to get the charges dismissed.
For a free initial consultation, contact criminal defense lawyer John Walkley.
