According to the California Department of Justice, robbery is considered a violent crime. The Department of Justice describes the following as violent crimes:

• Murder
• Assault
• Rape
• Robbery

In addition, California Penal Code section 667.5 defines robbery as a violent felony. In California, if you are charged with a violent crime like robbery, you can be subject to even greater consequences and punishments as a result of the violent nature of the crime. It is important that you contact an experienced Riverside violent crimes attorney immediately if you are facing charges for robbery or any other violent crime.

Robbery Sentence (PC 211)

According to California Penal Code section 211, robbery is the “felonious taking of personal property in possession of another, from his or her immediate presence, and against his will, accomplished by means of force or fear.” In other words, you can be convicted of robbery if you took something from another by means of assault or force.

Under California Penal Code section 213, robbery is broken down into first degree robbery and second degree robbery. First degree robbery is when you entered a home or dwelling of another or robbed someone while he or she was operating a vehicle. If convicted of first degree robbery, you face a sentence of three, six or nine years in state prison. Second degree robbery includes all robberies that are not described as first degree robbery. Robbery in the second degree is punishable by two, three or five years in state prison.

Robbery Violent Crime Enhancements

In addition to the penalties listed above, a conviction of robbery will also count as a strike on your criminal record. This is true for any conviction for a violent crime in California. Under California’s Three Strikes law, if you are convicted of three violent crimes, resulting in three strikes on your record, the sentence for your final conviction can be enhanced to 25 years to life in state prison. This means you could serve a sentence of 25 years to life even if that was not the sentence that should be enforced for the crime you committed.

Even further, if you are convicted of robbery, or any other violent felony listed under California Penal Code section 667.5, you will only be eligible for 15 percent of work time credit during you prison sentence (See California Penal Code section 2933.1). This means that you must serve at least 85 percent of your sentence if you are convicted of robbery or any other violent felony, no matter if you have shown good behavior. This is not true for other non-violent crimes, which allow you to gain a higher percentage of work-time credit while you are imprisoned.

Call the Robbery Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich Today

If you or a loved one is accused of robbery in California, you need to speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney at Wallin & Klarich right away. Our skilled robbery lawyers have been successfully defending our clients facing robbery charges for over 30 years. We’ve helped thousands of clients in their time of legal need, and we can help you now. Call us today so we can begin working on your case.

We have offices in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Victorville, Ventura, Riverside, West Covina, San Bernardino, Sherman Oaks and Torrance. Our experienced robbery attorneys are available nearby no matter where you work or live.

Call us today at (888) 280-6839 for a free phone consultation. We will get through this together.