Residents of the Silver Lake and Echo Park areas of Los Angeles, California are up in arms about a recent string of assaults and robberies in their neighborhoods. Over the past two months, 10 robberies have occurred in the area, all at night or in the early morning hours. In each instance, a lone man was attacked while walking down the street. One victim was threatened with a gun to the head while perpetrators demanded money. Another victim was stabbed in the shoulder. LAPD is investigating the crime spree. Victims' descriptions of the perpetrators as Hispanic men, has led LAPD to suspect Hispanic gang members.
California law defines robbery as "the taking of property from another against their will by means of force or fear," explains Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Stephen Rodriguez. Unlike burglary or theft, robbery involves person-to-person confrontation. Assault is "the unlawful attempt to violently injure another person" whether by threat or physical injury. In the state of California, robbery is a serious and violent felony punishable by state prison, Rodriguez warns. Use assault in the commission of a robbery and the seriousness of the charges and potential penalties escalates.
In California, robbery is classed as either first degree or second degree robbery. First degree robbery is the more serious charge and involves:
- Robberies that occur in inhabited dwellings.
- Robbery of a person using an ATM machine.
- Robbery of a passenger in bus, taxi or other vehicle for hire.
- Robbery of the operator or a bus, taxi, street car or cable car.
- Carjacking.
First degree robbery, including carjacking, is punishable by 3 to 9 years in a state prison; second degree robbery, by 2 to 5 years in prison. Add in the doubled sentences imposed on convicted felons by California's Three Strikes Law and you could face significant prison time. Use a gun during a robbery and California tacks on 10 years to your sentence. If the gun discharges, whether it's intentional or unintentional, the state adds 20 years to your sentence.
Robbery and assault are serious charges that are aggressively prosecuted in Los Angeles. If you commit robbery, particularly robbery with assault, a serious first degree robbery charge, and are convicted, you risk spending decades in a California prison. Expert Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Stephen Rodriguez and his team of skilled criminal defense lawyers have the experience handling robbery charges to skillfully and aggressively represent you if you are charged with robbery.
