Robbery is a complicated crime. It can be charged as a felony or as a misdemeanor. It can turn into burglary, theft when no victim is present, or into robbery, theft when a victim is present. In short, robbery is complicated, this post will go over the nature of robbery and how its charge may affect you.
Robbery is a “wobbler” crime. Wobblers are charges that can shift from misdemeanor to felony, depending on the circumstances. For example, if force was used, a robbery charge can be upgraded to a felony. Conversely, if the robbery dealt with items of very high value, that could also enhance the charges.
Furthermore, robbery is a crime of degrees. That means you can be charged as either a felony or misdemeanor and within those categories are degrees of seriousness.
Robbing a gun store is likely to end up as a felony charge. Guns are very valuable items. Furthermore, it is unlikely anyone could rob a gun store without being armed. That means robbing a gun store is likely a felony and potentially a very serious one if a firearm is utilized.
If a gun is used, a robbery charge can be enhanced. Enhancements are added after charges and usually are argued over at sentencing. Enhancements can increase penalties, prison time, or impose other punishments.
Were you arrested on robbery charges? If yes, it is critical that you speak with an attorney. As noted above, robbery is a “wobbler” meaning that it can change from a minor to severe crime, depending on the circumstances. Undoubtedly, the police will continue gathering evidence which could result in an enhancement of your charge. An attorney can go over the arrest and help anticipate possible charges.