Building a DC Armed Robbery Defense

Armed robbery is a serious criminal charge, and requires an effective, cohesive defense strategy. To begin building a DC armed robbery defense, a criminal defense lawyer may begin by looking at the available materials such as the police report, forensic reports like DNA results, cell site data results, phone records, et cetera. At the same time, they will likely speak with their client to determine whether they have all of the possible information related to the allegation. If you are facing charges for armed robbery in DC, you could benefit from professional legal representation.

Robbery vs. Armed Robbery

The significance of the armed element in an armed robbery charge is important because it results in a mandatory minimum prison sentence if the defendant is convicted. The fact that someone is armed during a robbery is sometimes difficult to prove. In most situations, the government alleges that the robber used a gun during the course of the robbery. If a gun is found, the government attempts to link the gun to the person charged through DNA evidence such as fingerprints, video evidence, or witness testimony.

In some circumstances, an attorney may be able to negotiate an armed robbery charge down to a simple robbery charge. Negotiating an armed robbery charge down to a robbery charge depends on the evidence the government has regarding the case. The defense attorney could consider the life circumstances of their client including their age and prior criminal history. The most significant factors are the strengths of the government’s case and the specific life circumstances of the client. They are helpful in determining whether negotiating a robbery charge down to a robbery charge is an option the client would accept because it most likely results in jail time even though it is not mandatory jail time.

Considering a Plea Deal

Taking a plea deal is a fact-specific decision, and it is ultimately a decision made by the defendant alone. In some situations, the criminal lawyer would not recommend that someone accept a guilty plea when they have nothing to lose by going to trial, or if the consequences of a loss at trial are no greater than what they would suffer if they took the guilty plea.

Sometimes, the lawyer may recommend that a defendant accept a guilty plea when the consequences of doing so are minor relative to the potential consequences of a potential loss at the trial. The potential reward greatly outweighs the risk of the trial.

The criminal lawyer must be cognizant of the person’s life situation, their potential criminal history, and the consequences of a guilty plea versus the consequences of the trial lost to help them make a good decision.

Hiring the Best Armed Robbery Attorney

It is important for anyone charged with armed robbery to hire an attorney they feel comfortable within Washington, DC. A defendant needs to be comfortable providing private information to their attorney and must be able to trust an attorney to make decisions that could potentially affect their life. They need to have confidence that the lawyer will provide them with the best resources for building a DC armed robbery defense

If you are facing armed robbery charges in DC, you need experienced legal representation that you can trust. Contact a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.