South Jersey Robbery Defense Attorney
Robbery Charges Lawyer in Camden County, NJ Provides Reliable Defense for Clients in Burlington County, Cumberland County, Gloucester County, and Throughout New Jersey
Robbery charges in New Jersey have serious consequences. If you are convicted of robbery, you can face jail time, pay hefty fines, and face serious obstacles when applying for jobs or pursuing educational or vocational opportunities with a conviction on your record. Thankfully, the justice system provides you with many rights and safeguards, which include the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. A South Jersey robbery defense attorney at Gelman Law, LLC will fight to protect your rights and do everything possible to maximize your chances of having the charges and sentences you face either dismissed or reduced.
Robbery in New Jersey Under Statute N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1
Credit card fraud, mail fraud, check fraud, petty theft, shoplifting, robbery, and armed robbery are all different forms of theft. These are all different ways of illegally obtaining something of value from someone else, but they are very different from each other. They may all share the same underlying goal, but they are all treated as different crimes, each with its own evidentiary thresholds, penalties, and punishments. They must all be handled according to specific legal processes as well.
In the case of robbery, it is governed by statute N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1. According to this law, you can be found guilty of robbery if, while committing a theft, you:
- Inflicted bodily injury or used force against a victim; or
- Threatened the victim with or intentionally put the victim in fear of sustaining immediate bodily injury; or
- Committed or threatened immediately to commit crimes of the first or second degree.
“In the course of committing a theft” is generally assessed to be the time during which a malicious actor is actively engaged in theft, is attempting to commit a theft, or is in immediate flight from a theft.
Consider carjacking, which is a type of robbery. As per N.J.S. 2C:15-2, carjacking occurs when, while unlawfully seizing a motor vehicle, an actor:
- Inflicts bodily injury or uses force on a vehicle occupant or someone who is in possession or control of a vehicle; or
- Threatens that individual or purposely or knowingly puts that person in fear of sustaining immediate bodily injury; or
- Commits or threatens immediately to commit a crime of the first or second degree.
This is how many types of robbery are handled. In the case of carjacking, additional factors that can apply to a robbery charge can include specific situations such as someone operating or causing a vehicle to be operated with someone (the owner or other occupant) still in the vehicle.
A Robbery Charges Lawyer in Cherry Hill, NJ from Our Firm Can Help Mitigate the Penalties for Your Offense
Being found guilty of robbery means being guilty of a crime of the second degree, which comes with a prison sentence of between five and 10 years. However, robbery charges can be elevated to a first-degree crime if, while committing a theft, you:
- Attempted to kill someone; or
- Purposely inflicted or attempted to inflict serious bodily injury on someone; or
- Were armed with, used, or threatened the immediate use of a deadly weapon.
First-degree robbery charges come with sentences of between 10 and 20 years in state prison. Furthermore, because of the seriousness of first- and second-degree robbery charges, you must serve 85% of your sentence before you can be eligible for parole, as per New Jersey law. As an example, carjacking is a first-degree offense, punishable by between 10 and 30 years in prison.
If you are convicted, you will likely be required to pay fines as well as court costs and restitution to affected victims of your crimes. You will also lose several rights, such as the right to vote and carry a firearm while facing new hurdles when seeking admission to a school, receiving financial aid, securing loans, or getting a job.
Get Advice From An Experienced Theft Crimes Lawyer. All You Have To Do Is Call 856-861-4236 To Receive Your Free Case Evaluation.
Contact a Skilled South Jersey Robbery Defense Attorney at Gelman Law, LLC Today
Do not risk jail time, fines, or a lifetime conviction on your record. Seek professional legal counsel from a South Jersey robbery defense attorney at Gelman Law, LLC today. We can defend you against the charges you face by gathering evidence, defending you in court, and working toward dismissing or lowering the charges and sentences you face. We will also interview witnesses, obtain security camera footage and police reports, and review other aspects of your case to build a solid defense that can potentially clear you of your robbery charges. Do not delay; contact a qualified robbery charges lawyer in Camden County, NJ at Gelman Law, LLC today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Facing Robbery Charges in New Jersey
Our robbery charges lawyer in Cherry Hill, NJ will review how the police and prosecutors gathered the evidence they have against you to determine if any of it was obtained by violating any of your constitutional rights or the statutes that govern criminal procedures. If it was, it can be excluded and will weaken the prosecution’s case. We will also employ strategies to raise doubt regarding different aspects of your case because you are not supposed to be found guilty if there is any doubt as to your innocence. An alibi, a confession from someone else, filing errors, and other factors can all be introduced as possible explanations for your innocence, and we will employ the appropriate defense based on the specifics of your case.
To lessen or reduce your robbery charges, a South Jersey robbery defense attorney from our firm will work to discredit the prosecution’s evidence on each of the dimensions covered by NJSA 2C:15-1. This means that, beyond attempting to prove that you were innocent of committing robbery or theft in the first place, we will attempt to show that you did not inflict bodily injury, use force, threaten, or place a victim in fear of sustaining immediate bodily injury and that your crimes – if any – do not constitute a crime of the first or second degree.
