Defending Maryland Robbery Charges

When fighting a robbery allegation in Maryland, there are a number of legal options that may be available to a person. Deciding which direction to take your defense may be a difficult decision without knowing the benefits and downsides of each choice. An accomplished attorney could help you in defending against Maryland robbery charges.

How a Criminal Attorney Could Begin Preparing a Defense Case

An experienced criminal defense lawyer may wish to review the allegations of the charging document (the State’s version of events) which may describe what they have accused the person to have done. The prosecution may use this as evidence at a trial in order to convict them. The attorney could speak with the defendant to get an overview of the situation and learn what actually might have happened or did not happen. This way, they may see how accurate or inaccurate the allegations are, according to the accused person. Attorneys could then start examining what evidence must be proven by the State. The defense could request all evidence from the State and may determine:

• What kind of evidence the State has
• Whether the state has provided everything needed to the defense
• Is all the evidence available
• What evidence could the defense produce to counter the State’s evidence
• What evidence does the defense have to present their own narrative of what happened( ie video footage, documentation, and hospital records)

Speaking to the Defense

When speaking with the defendant to get an idea of what happened during the accident, the attorney could attempt to discover:

• Was the incident recorded?
• Does the person know the person alleging the injury?
• Were there co-defendants involved?

All of these questions might create the basics of the case and could reveal the strengths and weaknesses in the State’s evidence. Attorneys defending against robbery charges in Maryland could get an initial idea of what the State may focus on and where they could focus their defense.

What Type of Evidence do Lawyers Use to Compile a Defense for an Accused Person?

The creation of a defense:

• Depends on the type of allegations made in the case
• The nature of the allegations made in the case
  • Were there weapons involved?
• Depend on where the incident allegedly took place
• Was there surveillance footage
• Did the incident allegedly take place in a business or on the streets
• Did the incident allegedly take place within home security surveillance cameras?
  • Video footage may show the alleged incident, and depending upon the angle of the video, could speak for itself
  • The angle might not show anything that happened but may support certain theories of the defense
  • The video could show what happened before or just after
  • If the video footage is inconsistent with the events as described by the State, that will determine what defense tactics to use.

Depending on the facts of the case, whether the alleged incident happened in public, if there were other people involved, or if there were other people present, witness testimony could be of value to the defense is if they are going to contradict what the injured person is claiming. There may be other circumstantial evidence as well.

If the person’s behavior after the alleged incident seems inconsistent with committing the robbery and they were arrested but did not have the allegedly stolen property with them, that could be supportive circumstantial evidence for the defense.

There might be a lot of evidence that may be testimonial depending on the nature of the incident and any surveillance footage available. There could be cell phone video these days depending on the incident. Any of this may be useful in defending robbery charges in Maryland depending on the content of the document.

When an Attorney Might Encourage a Person to Take a Plea Deal

A plea deal could be taken if the benefits of taking the deal are outweighed by the risks of going to trial. Whenever a defendant goes to trial, there may always be the potential that it might result in an acquittal. When the facts of the case and the strengths of the State’s evidence are so strong that it is clear that the trial will result in a conviction, it might make sense to take a plea deal if the defense attorney could negotiate one where the agreed-upon sentencing would be significantly lower than what would likely happen at trial.

The plea may at times involve no jail time and could consist of a period of probation or paying some fine. While it is ultimately the decision of the accused person, a trial in certain situations could be very risky. With a robbery felony charge, the maximum penalty a person could receive is 15 years. Even if someone has never committed a crime in their life, a judge may be well within their right to send the person to prison for 15 years if they are found guilty. If the defense attorney is able to negotiate a plea deal that involves significantly fewer consequences, it might make sense in the long run to take that plea deal.

Contacting a Maryland Robbery Attorney

A local lawyer could be knowledgeable in both the criminal law and the local court rules and regulations of the courthouse. They may be able to spot irregularities right away, and could also be familiar with the judges and prosecutors in that district and county.

Having a relationship with the prosecutor could make it easier for that attorney to get in touch with the prosecutor. Lawyers with a trustworthy, professional relationship with the prosecutor so could have an open line of communication them. It may be to the defendant’s benefit if the lawyer has a receptive audience with the prosecutor since the prosecutor and the attorney have worked in the past and might have a trusting professional relationship.

If the attorney knows the judge and the judge respects the attorney’s practicing record, the judge may be a receptive audience. If an emergency comes up and the defendant is unable to make it to court, the lawyer may be more receptive due to the trustworthiness of the attorney and could ask for a continuance. There may be a higher likelihood that those procedural requests will be granted.