ANNE ARUNDEL, CALVERT, CHARLES, ST. MARY’S & PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTIES.
Robbery Defense | Haskell & Dyer
The Difference Between Theft and Robbery Is Force. That Single Question Can Mean Years.
Robbery is theft accomplished with force or the threat of force, which turns a property crime into a violent felony. Whether force was really used, and how much, is often the heart of the case, and where we focus the defense.
If You're Facing This Charge
Say nothing to police. Call a lawyer immediately.
Robbery is a violent felony with serious prison exposure, and how you describe what happened can lock in the State's claim that force was used. The line between robbery and a lesser theft charge is exactly what is in dispute. Stay quiet, ask for a lawyer, and call before you say anything.
Theft Plus One Element
What Turns Theft Into Robbery
Robbery is theft with one thing added: force or the threat of it. That single element is what raises a property crime to a violent felony, and it is where these cases are won or lost.
The Taking
The Theft Underneath
Every robbery starts with a theft, taking property from a person or their presence. If the State cannot prove the taking, or cannot tie it to you, the robbery charge has no foundation to stand on.
The Element That Elevates
Force or Threat
What makes it robbery is force, or putting someone in fear with a threat. Whether real force or a genuine threat was actually used, and how the State proves it, is the central battleground in these cases.
What's at Stake
A Violent Felony, With Felony Consequences
Robbery is treated far more seriously than theft, because the law counts it as a crime against a person.
Felony
A violent felony conviction on your record
Prison
Significant incarceration on a conviction
Violent
Classified as a crime against a person
Rights
The civil-rights losses that follow a felony
How We Defend a Robbery Charge
The force element is what makes it robbery. Take that apart, and the case can drop to theft or fall apart entirely.
We Attack the Force Element
If force or a genuine threat was not actually used, the charge is theft, not robbery. We press hard on what really happened.
We Challenge Identity
Robbery cases often rest on fast, frightening encounters and shaky identifications. We test whether the State can really tie it to you.
We Test the Evidence
Video, witnesses, and the investigation all have weak points. We scrutinize the identification, the timeline, and the proof.
We Push to Reduce
Where the force element is weak, we work to bring a robbery charge down to theft, off the violent-felony track.
Common Questions
Robbery Charges, Answered
What's the difference between robbery and theft?
Theft is taking property without force. Robbery is theft accomplished by force or the threat of force, taken from a person or their presence. That added element is what makes robbery a violent felony rather than a property crime, and challenging whether force was really used is central to the defense.
There was no weapon and no one was hurt. Can it still be robbery?
Yes. Robbery does not require a weapon or an injury. It can rest on force used to take the property, or on a threat that put someone in fear. But the State still has to prove that force or threat actually happened, and where it cannot, the charge may be only theft.
Can a robbery charge be reduced to theft?
Often, that is the central goal. Because the force or threat is what elevates theft to robbery, undercutting that element can bring the charge down to theft, off the violent-felony track. The difference in exposure between the two can be measured in years.
The victim says it was me, but they're wrong. What now?
Mistaken identification is common in robbery cases, which often involve fast, frightening encounters and poor conditions. The State has to prove it was you beyond a reasonable doubt. We test the identification, the circumstances, and any video or witnesses, because that link is frequently the weak point.
How serious is a robbery conviction?
Very. Robbery is a violent felony, treated as a crime against a person, with serious prison exposure and a felony record. That is why the defense fights so hard over the force element and the identification, the two things that most often decide where the case lands.
Charged With Robbery? The Force Element Is Worth Fighting.
Whether this is robbery or theft can mean years. Tell us what happened and get an honest read on how we challenge the State's case. The first conversation is free.
Arrested or being questioned? Call our 24/7 line now: 240-687-0179
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC Practicing Law in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, St. Mary’s, and Prince George’s Counties.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer, LLC
Fax: 301-627-5848
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