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Armed and Aggravated Robbery Laws in Arizona

Robbery is a criminal offense under Arizona statutes and one that is taken very seriously. You might think that robbery may refer to masked gunmen trying to rob a bank or other financial institution, ideally at gun point, just like we see in movies. However, that is not true. According to robbery laws in Arizona, any kind of theft that uses force or threat is considered a robbery, and anyone charged with robbery will have to face serious consequences.

Kinds of Robbery Charges

There are three different kinds of robbery recognized by the state of Arizona, namely robbery, aggravated robbery and armed robbery. Definitions of the different kinds of robberies are given below:

Robbery - The least serious robberies fall under the charge of robbery. Any robbery may be defined as the act of taking something that belongs to someone else using a threat or some kind of force. In robbery cases, the immediate presence of the person who owns the property or item is necessary and the robber may use force to make the owner surrender. Robbery is a class 4 felony under Arizona robbery laws.

Aggravated Robbery - An aggravated robbery is defined as the course of committing robbery with the help of one or more accomplices who may be actually present. The person charged with aggravated robbery may not do anything differently as in the case with robbery, the only difference being that he or she had someone else helping them to take over the owned property. Aggravated robbery is classified as a Class 3 felony.

Armed Robbery - As the name explains, an armed robbery is one where a person tries to take over another property while armed with a deadly weapon. The weapon may be used to threaten the owner into giving up the item or property which is being robbed. An armed robbery is considered a Class 2 felony and carries a possible jail sentence of 7 to 21 years.

In some cases, the judge may grant probation and you can have the charges reduced further by getting help from a Phoenix robbery lawyer.

Apart from facing jail time, you may also face other penalties such as lengthy supervised probation, restitution, counseling, a permanent criminal record, along with any other penalty the judge may order, based on the case.

Defending a Robbery Case

Any robbery case requires proof of several things for it to be a legal case. This includes the following:

  • Proof that the accused person took another person's property
  • The robbed item was taken from another person or in his or her presence
  • The robbed item was taken against the owners will
  • Threat or force was used by the robber against the owner to intimidate him or her into giving up the item

The prosecution will do its best to prove you guilty of the crime.

Remember, that as with any other police investigation, you have the right to remain silent and seek an attorney if you have been suspected of robbery. You must remain silent unless you are granted permission to talk to your lawyer.

Contact a Phoenix Robbery Lawyer

Robbery is considered a felony by law and carries extremely harsh consequences. Therefore, if you find yourself or a loved one facing robbery charges in Phoenix, Arizona, you must not wait a second. If you have not been granted access to talk to your lawyer, you must clearly state your intent to the arresting officer, that you want to remain silent and that you will only talk and answer questions in the presence of your lawyer.

Get in touch with an experienced Phoenix robbery lawyer who can fight for your rights and save you from a permanent criminal mark on your record.