What You're Facing

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Robbery charges in Virginia carry some of the harshest sentences in the criminal justice system. The penalties depend on how the robbery was committed:

• Robbery causing serious bodily injury or death: Class 2 felony, 20 years to life

• Robbery using or displaying a firearm in a threatening manner: Class 3 felony, 5-20 years

• Robbery using physical force (not causing serious injury) or displaying a deadly weapon other than a firearm: Class 5 felony, 1-10 years

• Robbery by threat, intimidation, or other means not involving a deadly weapon: Class 6 felony, 1-5 years

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These are not charges where you get probation or a suspended sentence, judges routinely impose active prison time. The problem? There are often defenses to robbery charges. Robbery cases are frequently built on eyewitness identifications made under stress, from brief observations, or weeks after the crime. Witnesses pick photos from lineups. Memories fade and change. Police use suggestive identification procedures. Or the case rests entirely on the word of an accuser with a motive to lie. Physical evidence like fingerprints, DNA, weapons, or surveillance footage is often nonexistent. 

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The stakes are enormous: years to decades in prison based on questionable identification or uncorroborated accusations. When you're facing that kind of time, you need attorneys who have actually defended robbery cases at trial, and won.

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Our Robbery Case Results

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NOT GUILTY: Armed Robbery - False Accusation

Our client was accused of armed robbery by someone he knew. The accuser's story kept changing, multiple versions to police, contradictions throughout. No physical evidence supported the allegations. No weapon was recovered. Surveillance footage showed our client acting normally right after the alleged robbery. We exposed the accuser's lies on cross-examination and demonstrated clear motive to fabricate. The jury saw through the false accusations and returned not guilty on all charges. [Read Full Case Details →]

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CHARGES DISMISSED: Armed Robbery - Eyewitness Misidentification

Our client, a teenager, was charged with armed robbery based solely on eyewitness identifications. No physical evidence linked him to the crime. No fingerprints matched despite police recovering prints from the scene. The identifications were made weeks after the crime, based on brief glimpses during high-stress moments. We retained an expert witness on eyewitness identification to educate the jury about the unreliability of cross-racial identification, the effects of stress, and memory degradation over time. After trial, the jury was deadlocked heavily in favor of acquittal, and the prosecution dismissed all charges. [Read Full Case Details →]

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Common Defenses To Robbery Charges

 

Every case is unique, but these are some of the common issues in play:

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• Mistaken identity: Challenging eyewitness identifications based on brief glimpses, stress, poor lighting, distance, cross-racial identification, or suggestive police procedures

• False accusation: Exposing motive to fabricate (relationship disputes, revenge, covering financial problems, avoiding responsibility)

• Lack of physical evidence: No fingerprints, no DNA, no weapon recovered, no surveillance footage linking you to the crime

• Alibi: Proving you were somewhere else when the crime occurred

• Credibility attacks: Inconsistent witness statements, changing stories, prior lies to police

• Lack of intent to steal: Proving this was a civil dispute over property, not a robbery

• Insufficient proof of force or threat: Challenging whether the prosecution proved force or threat of force was used

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Why Robbery Cases Require Trial Experience

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Eyewitness identifications are notoriously unreliable, especially when made under stress, from brief observations, when weapons are involved, or across racial lines. Memory degrades over time and can be contaminated by suggestive police procedures. Defending these cases requires understanding the science of memory and perception, knowing when to retain expert witnesses, and cross-examining witnesses effectively to expose weaknesses in their identifications.

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False accusations are common in robbery cases, particularly when there's a prior relationship, financial dispute, or motive for revenge. Effective defense means exposing inconsistencies in the accuser's story, finding the motive to lie, and impeaching credibility through prior statements and lies to police. Physical evidence matters too: fingerprints, DNA, surveillance video, or the alleged weapon can be critical. When it's missing, that can mean reasonable doubt, but only if your attorney knows how to argue why its absence is significant.

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Read Actual Closing Argument Transcripts

 

Most criminal defense attorneys have never tried a robbery case to verdict. We publish actual closing arguments so you can judge our work for yourself:

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Armed Robbery Trial - Not Guilty (False Accusation) [Read Transcript →]

Armed Robbery Trial - Charges Dismissed (Eyewitness Misidentification) [Read Transcript →]

 

Facing Robbery Charges in Virginia Beach or Hampton Roads?

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Robbery convictions mean decades in prison, even life sentences. When the case rests on questionable identification or false accusations, you need attorneys who know how to attack eyewitness testimony and expose lies. Call us at 757-961-3311 or fill out the online form below for a free, confidential consultation. We'll give you an honest assessment of your case and explain your options. Everything you tell us is protected by attorney-client privilege.