Los Angeles Armed Robbery Attorney

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Armed Robbery Defense in Los Angeles

If you have been charged with robbery or armed robbery in Los Angeles you are facing one of the most seriously prosecuted violent felonies in California. A robbery conviction carries state prison time, a strike on your record under the Three Strikes law, and when a firearm was involved the sentencing enhancements alone can add 10, 20, or 25 years to life on top of the base sentence. At The Law Offices of Arash Hashemi our Los Angeles armed robbery attorney has spent over 20 years defending clients against robbery and serious violent felony charges throughout Los Angeles County. Contact our office today at (310) 448-1529 for a free confidential consultation.

Armed Robbery Defense in Los Angeles — What You Are Facing

What people refer to as armed robbery is not a separate charge under California law. There is no specific armed robbery statute. What people call armed robbery is Penal Code 211 robbery combined with the firearm use enhancement under Penal Code 12022.53. The enhancement is what transforms a robbery into what most people recognize as an armed robbery and it is the most important factor in determining the total sentencing exposure.

Robbery under PC 211 is the taking of personal property from another person against their will through force or fear. It is always a felony and always a strike under California’s Three Strikes law. First degree robbery which covers robberies committed in inhabited dwellings, on public transportation, or against ATM users carries 3, 6, or 9 years in state prison. Second degree robbery which covers all other robberies carries 2, 3, or 5 years in state prison. Every robbery conviction results in a permanent felony record, lifetime designation as a convicted felon, and the loss of firearm rights.

When a firearm was used during the robbery the PC 12022.53 enhancement adds mandatory consecutive prison time on top of the base robbery sentence. These enhancements cannot be suspended or served concurrently and they are not subject to reduction through plea negotiation in most cases without specific prosecutorial agreement. The enhancement amounts are fixed by statute and they are severe. Personally using a firearm adds 10 years. Personally discharging a firearm adds 20 years. Discharging a firearm and causing great bodily injury or death adds 25 years to life. When the base robbery sentence and the firearm enhancement are combined the total exposure in a single armed robbery case can exceed 30 years in state prison before any prior strike convictions are factored in.

Related charges are frequently filed alongside robbery in Los Angeles. Carjacking under PC 215 covers taking a vehicle from another person against their will through force or fear and carries 3, 5, or 9 years in state prison as its own separate felony. Attempted robbery under PC 664/211 covers a failed robbery attempt and carries its own sentence with the same firearm enhancements applicable. Home invasion robbery is first degree robbery committed in an inhabited dwelling and prosecutors in Los Angeles pursue these cases with maximum aggression because of the vulnerability of the victims involved.

How We Defend Armed Robbery Charges in Los Angeles

Robbery and armed robbery cases are built on eyewitness identification, surveillance footage, and physical evidence. Every one of those evidence types is subject to challenge and our armed robbery defense attorney examines each one from the first consultation.

Eyewitness identification is one of the least reliable forms of evidence in criminal cases and it is the foundation of most robbery prosecutions. Witnesses who identified a suspect under stressful conditions, in poor lighting, or based on a brief encounter make mistakes. Our criminal defense attorney challenges identification evidence through the circumstances of the observation, the reliability of the identification procedure law enforcement used, and any inconsistencies between the initial description and the defendant’s actual appearance.

Surveillance footage is subject to challenge based on the quality of the recording, the angle of the camera, the lighting conditions, and whether the footage actually shows what the prosecution claims it shows. When the footage is ambiguous or when the identification of the defendant from the footage is uncertain our armed robbery attorney challenges the prosecution’s interpretation directly.

When the firearm enhancement is alleged our criminal defense attorney challenges whether the defendant personally used or discharged the firearm as required by PC 12022.53. When the firearm was used by a codefendant or when the defendant’s specific role did not involve personal use of the weapon the enhancement may not apply and removing it can dramatically reduce the total sentencing exposure.

When multiple defendants are charged together the prosecution must establish what each individual defendant specifically did. Being present during a robbery does not automatically make someone liable for every act committed by every participant and our Los Angeles armed robbery attorney challenges the prosecution’s theory of each defendant’s specific role from the outset.

Contact a Los Angeles Armed Robbery Defense Attorney 

Attorney Arash Hashemi has defended clients against armed robbery and serious violent felony charges throughout Los Angeles County for over 20 years. He understands how the District Attorney’s office approaches robbery cases at each filing location, how to challenge identification evidence and firearm enhancements effectively, and where the defense has the most leverage from arraignment through trial. Every case is handled personally by Attorney Hashemi with no associates and no handoffs. When you retain our firm you work directly with the attorney defending your case from the first call through resolution.

If you have been charged with robbery or armed robbery in Los Angeles contact our office immediately. The earlier an armed robbery attorney is analyzing the identification evidence, the surveillance footage, and the firearm enhancement allegations in your case the more options are available. Contact our office today for a free confidential consultation.

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We are conveniently located in the Westside Towers serving clients facing robbery and serious violent felony charges across Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, and all surrounding communities. Your defense starts the moment you call.