Theft, Burglary, and Robbery

Being charged with any crime is a stressful experience, and your life and your future are on the line. It is extremely important that you have a zealous and aggressive defense, which starts with information. In order to protect your future, you need to understand exactly what you are up against. In some cases, understanding the charges against you can be difficult, and the first job of a criminal defense attorney may be to explain the charges filed.

Three crimes that are often confused with each other are theft, burglary, and robbery. While some people may use the words interchangeably in casual conversation, they are three separate crimes, with reasonably simple differences.

  • Theft is taking possession of or control over anything of value without authorization

  • Robbery is the violent crime of taking anything of value from the person of another by force, threats, or intimidation

  • Burglary is entering a building or structure without permission in order to take something of value.

To put these into simpler language: theft is taking something that doesn’t belong to you, robbery is taking something that doesn’t belong to you away from another person, and burglary is going into a place you don’t have permission to be in order to take something that doesn’t belong to you.

Fighting The Charges

Each of these distinct offenses has serious consequences which can ruin your future. Denver criminal defense lawyer Alaurice Tafoya-Modi is a dedicated lawyer who knows how to protect your rights, and understands how prosecutors build cases. Having spent her entire career defending criminal charges, Mrs. Tafoya-Modi can advise you on when to speak with police and what to say in order to protect your rights. She will work hard to have your charges dismissed, or to earn an acquittal at trial. In the event of a conviction, she will still fight hard for you, trying to get the most lenient penalty possible. In all phases of the court process, Mrs. Tafoya-Modi understands how to achieve the best possible result for her clients.