The fine details of a robbery charge

When you are charged with robbery in Pennsylvania, you might wonder what exactly this charge means and what will happen to you next. We at Marinaro Law are committed to helping you understand this charge and how it can affect your life.

You may initially think that a robbery charge means you stole something. However, robbery is not simply theft. If you are charged with this offense, this means that while you were stealing something, you either threatened to harm someone or used force. Using force can determine the severity of your robbery charge. If you injured someone, you may sometimes face more serious consequences. This use of force makes robbery different from burglary. Burglary usually means that you entered a building illegally to commit theft.

You do not always need to use an excessive amount of force for theft to be considered robbery. FindLaw says that if a person was intimidated or resisted during the incident, the incident is typically considered a robbery. If you used a weapon when you stole an item, this can make the incident more serious. The presence of a weapon can turn your robbery charge into a charge of aggravated robbery.

Most of the time, robbery is a crime that the state of Pennsylvania prosecutes. Robbery can become a federal crime, though, depending on the nature of the incident. If you robbed a financial institution or hijacked a truck transporting goods between states, this offense usually enters federal jurisdiction. If someone was harmed during the robbery or if a weapon was involved, you may be charged with a first degree felony. Most of the time, though, robbery is generally considered a second degree felony. More information about this subject can be found on our webpage.