While simple theft charges are sometimes treated as misdemeanors in Georgia, state authorities will always treat an accusation of any kind of robbery as a felony-level offense. Depending on the circumstances of a case, one may even face life imprisonment if convicted. For these reasons, you should take the process of building a defense strategy for this type of case very seriously, since it could be all that stands between you and a life-altering term in state prison.
Guidance from an experienced theft attorney can be invaluable throughout every stage of legal proceedings related to this charge, from initial police investigations to final sentencing in court. With a Carrollton robbery lawyer from our firm by your side, you could stand a far better chance of securing a favorable case result and avoiding the harsher sanctions that a conviction like this could lead to.
According to the Official Code of Georgia §16-8-40, a person commits robbery if they intentionally take someone else’s property directly from their person or in their “immediate presence.” This can be done through the use of force, a believable threat of force placing the targeted person in reasonable fear, or sudden snatching.
Robbery, as defined by this statute, is a felony, and typically someone convicted under this statute may face between one and 20 years of imprisonment. As a Carrollton robbery attorney can explain, though, anyone who commits robbery against a person 60 years old or older is subject upon conviction to a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison up to the standard 20-year maximum.
Someone who commits robbery by possessing and/or using an “offensive weapon” (or any believable replica of such a weapon) may be charged with armed robbery under O.C.G.A. §16-8-41. This is a very serious felony offense, with the most basic version carrying a minimum 10-year prison term, with no parole, upon conviction. If someone commits armed robbery and, while committing the offense, takes any controlled substance from a pharmacy or drugstore and intentionally injures any person, they may face a minimum prison term upon conviction of 15 years instead of 10.
It is important to note that armed robbery is considered a “serious violent felony,” which imposes certain requirements on a judge overseeing their criminal case. Specifically, if the defendant has a prior felony conviction on their record for which they served prison time, the judge must impose the maximum allowable sanctions on them following a conviction for armed robbery. If that prior offense was also a “serious violent felony,” the judge must sentence a convicted defendant to life behind bars. Guidance from a robbery attorney in Carrollton can be especially important to handling charges of this nature proactively and effectively.
There is no situation in which robbery is not considered a serious felony offense in Georgia. If you have been accused of robbery in this state, you may be facing life-altering criminal sanctions. Fighting back against this sort of accusation and mitigating your risk of spending years in prison is not something you should handle alone.
Fortunately, you have assistance available from a seasoned Carrollton robbery lawyer at our firm. Call J. Ryan Brown Law today to schedule a confidential consultation with a diligent legal professional.
J. Ryan Brown Law, LLC
J. Ryan Brown Law, LLC
