Monday, September 27, 2010

Can the defendant be convicted of robbery?The defendant went to the victim’s house supposedly to look at and buy a rifle owned by the victim....

Turning the rifle on the owner is the unprovoked and obvious threat gesture.  You can be charged with robbery for the mere appearance or suggestion of a weapon coupled with a demand for property.  A man with his pointed finger in a jacket pocket can be charged with robbery.  So in this case, clearly, the threat was intentional and obvious with the goal of stealing property, which we assume was found in the defendant's possession.


The only defense he could use would be that no threat gesture existed, nor was any force used to enter the house or to acquire the gun.  Since there are no witnesses (that your story suggests) or physical evidence other than possession, I could even suggest that I paid for the gun and it's simply my word against his.


If I have no prior criminal history, it would be a 50-50 chance of getting a conviction in a case like this.  With priors for burglary and robbery or violent crime, it's more likely the DA would pursue it.

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