Mentally ill people charged with robbery often face long prison sentences. It’s important to highlight your issues if you have been charged with this serious offense.
Robbery offenses are felonies in Arizona. The consequences of this charge are severe. Under state law, robbery is a class 4 felony. Class 4 felonies carry a presumptive term of two years and six months in prison and an aggravated term of three years and nine months.
A defendant commits a robbery if he or she threatens or uses forces against another while taking any property of another from him and against his will.
Robberies can carry an even higher prison sentence. An aggravated robbery in which the defendant is accused of having an accomplice is charged as a class 3 felony.
When the accused is charged with armed robbery, which entails having a dangerous or a deadly weapon, or simulating a weapon during the robbery, he or she is charged with a Class 2 felony. Armed robbery is classified as a “dangerous offense” under Arizona law. Even a first armed robbery conviction carries a sentencing range of seven to 21 years prison, fines of $750 to $150,000 fines, and other costs.
Defendants with a previous conviction for a dangerous offense could spend almost three decades in a state prison for armed robbery.
People who suffer from mental illnesses are often charged with robberies. Last year, a man reported to be mentally unstable was arrested in Graham County, Arizona, after an alleged robbery at a convenience store with a knife. Media reports claimed he told police he believed the Mexican drug cartels were out to get him.
The Arizona justice system is a blunt instrument for people with mental illnesses. If you or a family member has been accused of robbery and have struggled with illness, it’s important to contact an Arizona-based criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible.
