Robbery Representation in St. Louis, MO
Over our many years of helping clients in Missouri, our team at The Law Office of Eric V. Barnet has seen countless robbery cases. Eric Barnhart himself has handled over a hundred in his career. Over these many years, we have seen plenty of false identifications where the alleged crime victim wrongly accuses our client. Imagine that you are walking down the street one night and arrested for a crime you didn't commit just because you looked similar to a description.
You'd be surprised how many robbery cases come down to simple improper identification. We will do depositions to get a first-hand account from your accuser to ensure that this doesn't happen to you. We also determine if you have an alibi to prove that you couldn't have been at the crime scene when it was committed.
The Different Levels of Robbery Accusations
Like many crimes, robbery comes in various degrees that will determine how severe the punishment is. Learn more about the distinctions between them below.
First-Degree Robbery
Robbery is usually elevated to the first degree when the accused uses a deadly weapon or threatens people with one to get what they want. When someone, either the victim of the theft or an innocent civilian nearby, is injured during a robbery, that also plays a significant part in the severity of the accusation. Crimes this severe can punish people for 10-30 years and have an 85% mandatory sentence attached.
Second-Degree Robbery
Second-degree robbery usually consists of an act that has multiple people involved or one that utilizes a deadly weapon such as a gun or knife. In some states, stealing a car is automatically elevated to this level.