New Jersey Robbery Defense Attorneys

Definition of Robbery in New Jersey

The law on Robbery in New Jersey is located at NJSA 2C:15-1 and states as follows:

a. Robbery defined. A person is guilty of robbery if, in the course of committing a theft, he:

(1) Inflicts bodily injury or uses force upon another; or
(2) Threatens another with or purposely puts him in fear of immediate bodily injury; or
(3) Commits or threatens immediately to commit any crime of the first or second degree.

An act shall be deemed to be included in the phrase “in the course of committing a theft” if it occurs in an attempt to commit theft or in immediate flight after the attempt or commission.

b. Grading. Robbery is a crime of the second degree, except that it is a crime of the first degree if in the course of committing the theft the actor attempts to kill anyone, or purposely inflicts or attempts to inflict serious bodily injury, or is armed with, or uses or threatens the immediate use of a deadly weapon.

Criminal Penalties for Robbery Convictions

Robbery charges can also include carjacking, and convictions have both very real punishments as well as consequences that are more personal in nature, such as:

• Jail time
• Fines
• Criminal record
• Loss of certain privileges
• Difficulty finding employment
• Criticism from your peers and family

Options to Resolve Your Robbery Case

Each case is unique, but possible paths to resolving your robbery case may involve:

• Suppression of evidence
• Dismissal of charges
• Alternatives to jail
• Preparing your case for trial

We are uniquely familiar with how police investigate robberies and armed robberies in New Jersey. Police procedures require certain protocols, and we can immediately spot any weakness originating from this aspect of your case.

A defendant in a criminal case does not have the burden to prove or disprove anything. In other words, you are presumed innocent, and it is the State – the prosecutor – who must prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Charged with Robbery But You Did Not Do It? Let Us Fight for You

Robberies happen every day in New Jersey. The police usually respond to the scene, or the alleged victim goes to police headquarters on their own. The police often base their charging decision solely on eyewitnesses and alleged victims who may have reasons to lie about what actually happened.

In New Jersey, eyewitness identifications of a suspect are often wrong. They may pick you out of a photographic lineup based on “appearance similarities” between you and the real perpetrator but claim to the police that they are “100 percent” positive in their identification.