WHAT ARE ROBBERY PENALTIES IN FLORIDA?: South Florida Criminal Defense Attorney Explains
First of all: What is a Robbery Crime in Florida?
When someone commits the crime of Robbery, it means they took another person’s property without the intention of returning it back to them.
According to Florida Statute 812.13, the crime of Robbery is committed when someone intentionally and unlawfully takes property or money from another person through the use of inducing fear, violence, assault, or force.
Let's break that down a little bit. The crime of robbery can essentially be divided into 3 elements:
- Intent to commit the crime
- The unlawful stealing of money or property
- And the use of: induction of fear, violence, assault or force
For the crime to actually be considered robbery, all three of these elements must be present and actually happen. If someone were to steal something unintentionally, for example, it would not be considered robbery under Florida statutory law.
COMMON ROBBERY CRIMES & ROBBERY CRIME PENALTIES IN FLORIDA
Robbery in Florida can be classified as any one of the following:
- Robbery By sudden snatching
- Robbery with a deadly weapon
- Robbery with a firearm
- Home invasion Robbery
- Carjacking (Grand Theft Auto)
Each one of these crimes carries their own individual punishment and has their own legal elements and which need to be satisfied in order to be formally charged with the robbery crimes under Florida statute.
Robbery Crimes in Florida are more severely punished when a weapon or firearm is involved. If a weapon or firearm is involved in Florida, the robbery crime is usually prosecuted as a felony. Under Florida law, this can mean many years behind bars in prison if you do not act quickly and hire an experienced defense attorney to represent you.
For example, a robbery crime in Florida WITHOUT a weapon or firearm is a second-degree felony and carries consequences of up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. Meanwhile, a robbery crime in Florida WITH a weapon or firearm is a first-degree felony and carries potential consequences of up to 30 years in prison, and fines totaling up to $10,000, according to Florida law.
No matter the exact robbery charge, the prison exposure is serious. Here are the potential consequences for specific Robbery Crimes committed in Florida:
- Robbery by Sudden Snatching: Robbery by Sudden Snatching is the action of taking money or other property from a person with the intention to keep it permanently without their permission. In the act of taking money or other property, the person becomes aware that they were robbed.
- Minimum & Maximum Penalty for Robbery by Sudden Snatching in Florida: Robbery by Sudden Snatching is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
- Robbery with a Deadly Weapon:Robbery with a Deadly Weapon occurs when a person takes something from someone else and uses violence or makes threats with a deadly weapon
- Minimum & Maximum Penalty for Robbery with a Deadly Weapon in Florida: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon Requires a minimum Prison sentence of 34.5 months and can be punishable with maximum prison time of up to 30 years in prison or 30 years on probation
- Robbery with a Firearm: Robbery with a Firearm occurs when a person takes money or other property from someone else and uses violence or force while in possession of a firearm.
- Minimum & Maximum Penalty for Robbery with a Firearm in Florida: Robbery with a Firearm requires a 10-year Minimum Prison sentence with penalties ranging all the way up to life in prison.
- Home Invasion Robbery: A Home Invasion Robbery occurs when a person enters a dwelling such as a home or a place of residence with the intent to unlawfully take money or property from the residents through the use of violence or threats.
- Minimum & Maximum Penalty for Home Invasion Robbery in Florida: Requires a minimum Prison sentence of 34.5 months and can be punishable with a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison or 30 years probation.
- Carjacking: Carjacking is the action of a person intentionally taking another individual’s vehicle while using force or threats. Carjacking is more harshly punished when the use of a weapon or firearm is used during the course of the crime.
- Minimum & Maximum Penalty for Carjacking (Grand Theft Auto) in Florida: Carjacking is a first-degree Felony in Florida. First-degree felony penalties are generally punishable by up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.
CONCLUSION: Robbery crimes have SERIOUS penalties in Florida
The crime of Robbery in the state of Florida includes Robbery by sudden snatching, Robbery with a deadly weapon, Robbery with a firearm, Home invasion Robbery, and car theft or grand theft auto . These crimes carry hefty penalties and fines and depending on the severity of your specific situation, your previous criminal record, and whether or not a firearm was used during the incident - you may be facing serious jail time and fines up to $15,000.
If you or someone you know is facing robbery charges, you'll want to get in touch with a local criminal defense law firm that has plenty of experience in this specific field. Rossen Law Firm has two offices in Broward County, and one in Palm Beach County and has a wealth of experience working on cases in all of South Florida. We will work diligently to get you a favorable outcome.
Adam and Manny and our award-winning criminal defense team are ready to hear all about your case and tell you how they’d defend your rights in a free strategy session.
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- Fort Lauderdale: 754-206-6200
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