Robbery Defense Attorney West Palm Beach
If you're facing robbery charges in Florida, you are likely facing serious consequences including felony charges, potential prison time, and lasting damage to your record and reputation. Robbery involves taking property from another person by force or threat, and is always treated as a felony under Florida law. The Suskauer Law Firm P.A. in West Palm Beach represents clients across Florida facing both state and federal robbery charges.
We will fight to protect your rights, reputation, and future every step of the way.
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Robbery charges carry some of the harshest penalties in Florida, including long prison sentences and mandatory minimums if a weapon was involved. You may be wondering what defenses are available, whether the evidence against you is strong, or how your case will be treated in court. These cases are often complex and aggressively prosecuted. A conviction can change the course of your life. People often confuse the terms theft, robbery and burglary. But there are important distinctions.
At The Suskauer Law Firm P.A., we understand your future is at stake. With decades of criminal trial experience across Florida and a clear, strategic approach, we work to challenge the prosecution’s case, protect your rights, and fight for the best possible outcome.
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If you or a loved one has been arrested or charged with a crime in Florida, and have questions or would like to schedule a free consultation to review your case, please complete the form below, and someone from our legal defense team will get back to you immediately.
What is Robbery in Florida?
In Florida, robbery is defined by the law as:
the taking of money or other property which may be the subject of larceny from the person or custody of another, with intent to either permanently or temporarily deprive the person or the owner of the money or other property, when in the course of the taking there is the use of force, violence, assault, or putting in fear.
In other words, robbery is the act of taking or trying to take something from someone that has value by using force, intimidation or threat. And to be classified as a robbery, the victim must be present.
In order to be charged with robbery, it must be established that the perpetrator has taken money or property without consent from a victim’s body, from his or her immediate vicinity, or from a place within the victim’s control, such as the victim’s home. The perpetrator must have obtained the money or property from the victim by using intimidation, threat, or physical force which caused the victim to feel fear. Florida statutes establish specific types of robbery, including “robbery by sudden snatching,” carjacking, and home invasion.
Punishment for Robbery in Florida
Punishment for a robbery conviction often depends on whether the defendant carried or used a firearm or other deadly weapon in the execution of the crime. While robbery without a weapon might be prosecuted as a second degree felony, if a weapon is used, the crime is now classified as armed robbery – a first degree felony carrying a potential life sentence of imprisonment. In addition, Florida state laws require the prosecution of a home-invasion robbery as a first degree felony regardless of whether the defendant carried or used a weapon.
In Florida, the punishment for robbery is outlined by statute:
- (a) If in the course of committing the robbery the offender carried a firearm or other deadly weapon, then the robbery is a felony of the first degree, punishable by imprisonment for a term of years not exceeding life imprisonment or as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(b) If in the course of committing the robbery the offender carried a weapon, then the robbery is a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(c) If in the course of committing the robbery the offender carried no firearm, deadly weapon, or other weapon, then the robbery is a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.- (a) An act shall be deemed “in the course of committing the robbery” if it occurs in an attempt to commit robbery or in flight after the attempt or commission.
(b) An act shall be deemed “in the course of the taking” if it occurs either prior to, contemporaneous with, or subsequent to the taking of the property and if it and the act of taking constitute a continuous series of acts or events.
Frequently asked questions about robbery charges in Florida
What is the minimum sentence for armed robbery in Florida?
The minimum sentence for armed robbery in Florida is 10 years in prison if a firearm was carried. It rises to 20 years if the gun was fired and 25 years to life if someone was shot, under the 10-20-Life law (Fla. Stat. 775.087). These are mandatory minimums: the judge cannot go below them, and they are served day for day. Robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon is a first degree felony punishable by up to life. Robbery with a weapon that is not a firearm, a bat or a knife, carries up to 30 years but no 10-20-Life minimum. Whether the object was a "firearm" or a "deadly weapon" can be the entire case.
Can I get bond on a robbery charge in West Palm Beach?
Bond is not automatic on a robbery charge in West Palm Beach. Robbery is on Florida's list of charges that cannot be released on the bond schedule, so you are held at the Palm Beach County jail on Gun Club Road until a judge sets bail individually at first appearance (Fla. Stat. 903.011). It is also a "dangerous crime," and for armed robbery, a first degree felony, the State Attorney must ask the judge to hold you without bond once probable cause is found. A lawyer at first appearance, or at a bond hearing soon after, can present ties to the community, employment, and the weaknesses in the identification to argue for a bond a family can actually post.
What is the difference between robbery and theft in Florida?
The difference between robbery and theft in Florida is force. Theft is taking property; robbery is taking property from a person using force, violence, assault, or putting them in fear (Fla. Stat. 812.13). The force has to happen during the taking or the flight afterward. A shoplifter who pushes past a security guard on the way out can be charged with robbery instead of petit theft, which turns a misdemeanor into a felony with up to 15 years. "Robbery by sudden snatching," grabbing a purse or phone with no other force, is its own third degree felony (Fla. Stat. 812.131).
Can robbery charges be reduced in Florida?
Robbery charges can sometimes be reduced in Florida, but it depends on the evidence. The questions are what the State can prove about the force used, whether a weapon was real, displayed or merely claimed, and how strong the identification is. Robbery cases often turn on eyewitness identification, surveillance video, and cell phone location records, and each can be challenged. Reductions to theft, or from armed to unarmed robbery to escape 10-20-Life, do happen when the evidence of the weapon or the force is weak. No lawyer can promise it, and a case with a firearm on clear video is fought differently from one with a shaky identification.
What is the difference between robbery, carjacking and home invasion robbery in Florida?
Carjacking and home invasion robbery are both forms of robbery in Florida, charged under their own statutes with harsher penalties. Carjacking is taking a motor vehicle from a person by force (Fla. Stat. 812.133). Home invasion robbery is entering a dwelling with the intent to rob the people inside (Fla. Stat. 812.135). Both are first degree felonies, both are punishable by life when a firearm or other deadly weapon is involved, and the 10-20-Life minimums attach. Because both are dangerous crimes, bond is not automatic for either.
Do I need a lawyer at first appearance for a robbery charge in West Palm Beach?
Yes, you should have a lawyer at first appearance for a robbery charge in West Palm Beach if there is any way to get one there. First appearance happens within 24 hours of arrest at the Palm Beach County jail on Gun Club Road, and for a robbery charge it is where bond is decided, where no contact conditions are set, and sometimes where the State first shows what it has. The public defender at first appearance is covering every case on that morning's docket and has minutes with each person. A lawyer retained that first night can bring your employment, your family, and the problems with the identification into the room.
Contact an aggressive, experienced criminal defense lawyer that is experienced with robbery charges in West Palm Beach
If you have questions regarding theft charges, please do not hesitate to contact us for a free consultation so we can review your case. We are happy to meet or speak with you anytime.
Our legal team is experienced, aggressive, compassionate, and will fight for your rights!