As soon as someone believes that they may be under investigation for a robbery offense, it is important to contact an Alexandria robbery attorney. While it can be a very frightening time for an individual who knows they face the possibility of jail time, bringing in legal assistance is a crucial step in safeguarding their rights.
A person may believe they are under investigation after experiencing the following:
In these situations, contacting an attorney can be helpful because an immediate arrest doesn’t always take place when a person’s name comes up in connection with an investigation. Although it is not unheard of for robberies to be reported while they are in progress, that is outside of the norm. More often than not, officers conduct a detailed investigation to try to identify the suspects before they ultimately charge anyone.
The police may even contact the accused to get their side of the story prior to making an arrest decision. Accordingly, as soon as someone believes that they may be under investigations for robbery, it is important to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney.
Typically, an attorney will ask their client a lot of questions to find out the details of the offense. They will also want to know what the Commonwealth may know about the case already and who can offer different versions of the story. In an effort to build an effective defense strategy an attorney is going to work backward from the Commonwealth’s strategy to gain their own perspective.
This includes, but is not limited to:
The defense may compile evidence that can be used to impeach witnesses or otherwise undermine the Commonwealth’s theory of the case. It may be mitigating evidence that is used for sentencing or an alibi evidence that is used during the trial. In general, a defense attorney will comb through the case to determine what can and will be favorable to the defendant and what may be adverse to the prosecution’s case. Ultimately, an attorney’s main priority will be to build a defense that is both practical and powerful.
Every case is unique and the specifics of when it is a good idea to negotiate and accept the plea for a lesser charge varies on a case-by-case basis. If the attorney and the client both believe that the Commonwealth can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt and there are few elements left to the fact finder, then it may be in the person’s best interest to work out a plea arrangement with the Commonwealth.
The defendant’s background, mitigation history, availability of witnesses, and a variety of factors may also impact the decision for the defense attorney to encourage a client to accept a plea agreement. Ultimately, however, it is the client’s decision.
A local attorney that practices exclusively or nearly exclusively in the jurisdiction understands local rules, practices, procedures, and nuances. Local counsel may also understand what strategies certain prosecutors might explore, what type of evidence the judge may lean on more heavily, and what type of nuances law enforcement officers and witnesses may present in that type of case.
When seeking an attorney to build a strong Alexandria robbery defense, a person should have as much information as she or he is comfortable giving over the telephone including:
Often, robbery cases involve co-defendants so it is important to know the names of the person(s) that may also be charged.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
