Can you be charged with armed robbery, when you never even had a gun on you at the time?
Nothing feels worse than being accused of something you didn’t do! And being accused of certain crimes here in Michigan can actually feel like you’re being accused of something you never did, when in fact you’re just getting caught up in a legal technicality. This happens in several cases when people are charged with crimes involving weapons, when they insist them were never armed. So for all those Michiganders out there asking “why am I being charged for having a weapon when I was never armed?” – this one’s for you.
Armed robbery doesn’t mean you had a gun.
Being charged with Armed Robbery might sound like something that gets slapped on a person who tried to stick up a store at gunpoint, but there’s more to it than that. Here in Michigan the law that defines what an armed robbery is, is surprisingly vague about what constitutes a weapon. And while we’re on the subject, did you know you can be charged with armed robbery without having ever touched an actual weapon at all?
Sometimes armed robbery is straightforward…
Michigan law says that for it to count as armed robbery, several components have to be present. First, you have to steal something from someone while at the same time, having something in your possession that could cause that victim harm. Also, you have to assault that person, or threaten to assault them. The assault is pretty simple since having a weapon and being robbed puts the victim in fear and that’s enough to call it an assault. So while it makes sense to call it armed robbery when someone shows up with a gun or a knife and then steals from them, it doesn’t have to be that severe to count.
And sometimes it isn’t…
According to the Michigan penal code, you could show up and threaten someone (without hurting them in any way), and then steal from them, while possessing a toy gun that you claimed was real, or a plastic baseball bat, or even a piece of metal pipe. All of these would count as a “weapon” and could earn you an armed robbery charge!
In some cases, you don’t even need a weapon at all!
Believe it or not, you can rob someone while claiming to have a weapon (even if you don’t) and if your victim believes you, then it counts! So if you hid a pipe in your pocket, and allowed people to see the shape of it pressed it against the fabric of your clothing while robbing a store, they’ll probably think you had a gun hidden in there, and you could be charged with armed robbery. All it takes is one person to think their life was in danger for it to count!
You don’t need a weapon to be charged with serious crimes here in Michigan!
Armed robbery is a very serious crime. If you’re convicted, you can almost be guaranteed that you’re going to end up in prison for a very long time! Which means that if you or a loved one have been accused of armed robbery, or any weapons-related violent crime, you’re going to need highly respected and aggressive criminal defense lawyers on your side. So call The Kronzek Firm today at 866 766 5245 (866 7No Jail). Over the decades, we’ve represented thousands of clients from Grand Rapids and Lansing to Mt. Pleasant and Metro Detroit. We’re available 24 hours a day for emergencies. We can help you now.