Skilled Lawyer Can Help Reduce Sentencing For Burglary

Two Peoria men are in hot water after law enforcement officials claim they are responsible for hundreds of car burglaries in the Valley. The men, who are stepbrothers, were taken into custody by the Goodyear Police Department after officers found items believed to be stolen in their home. In this article, we’ll take a look at what constitutes burglary in Arizona and the potential consequences of being charged with it.

BURGLARY DEFINED

Simply stated, burglary is the act of breaking into someone else’s home or property with the intent to take items that belong to that person. To be technical, burglary is actually two forms of criminal activity combined into one: theft and breaking and entering.

BURGLARY PENALTIES in ARIZONA

If you’re charged with burglary in Arizona, you will be facing felony charges. There’s no getting around it. Even though Arizona law separates burglary into three categories, each of the three is a felony. The three categories along with the possible sentencing for each are:

• Burglary in the third degree; between 18 months and three years in prison. This categorization revolves around intent, and means that you can be charged with burglary for merely unlawfully entering or remaining on someone else’s nonresidential property (they don’t live there) with the intent to commit theft.
• Burglary in the second degree; between 2.5 to seven years in prison. This charge is reserved for those who enter someone’s place of residence with the intent of theft. Again, even though you have not taken anything, you’re still looking at burglary charges.
• Burglary in the first degree; between four and ten years on prison. The most serious of the burglary charges, Burglary in the First Degree is filed against anyone who commits either second or third degree burglary while in possession of a dangerous weapon.

HIRING A LAWYER IS SMART MOVE

Should you be charged with burglary in either of the three degrees, please know that the smartest move available to you is to call an experienced criminal defense attorney. Because the penalty portion of any trial depends on a number of guidelines, you will need an attorney to wade through the particulars so that the best-case scenario for you in terms of sentencing are more easily achieved. The guidelines that will be used to determine sentencing include:

• Whether or not violence was involved
• Injuries sustained by the victim
• Value of the property that was stolen
• Physical damage to the property
• Defendant’s prior criminal record, if any
• Other crimes committed during the burglary

OSWALT LAW IS THE RIGHT CALL

As you can see, burglary is a very serious charge here in Arizona. If convicted, you risk being forever known as a felon. Fortunately, there are skilled legal representatives with the Oswalt Law Group who can significantly reduce your vulnerability to conviction. If you’ve been charged – rightly or wrongly – with burglary, we encourage you to contact the Oswalt Law Group ASAP at (602) 225-2222 for a free consultation.