Burglary and Robbery

Burglary and Robbery are serious felonies. Conviction of either of these offenses is likely to carry a considerable penitentiary sentence. Your Northfield Burglary Lawyer Fred Mark Dry will defend you with knowledge, skills and approaches acquired over more than forty years of law practice.

Burglary is where a person enters the home or other building belonging to another person without that person's consent or authority. In addition to entering the property, the intruder must intend to commit a theft or other felony crime inside the premises. When the entry is made to a home, apartment, condo or other dwelling it is known as Residential Burglary. Residential Burglary carries a mandatory four year prison sentence upon conviction. If the premises entered are not a residence, Probation is a possibility.

If entry is made to property, but not a building, Criminal Trespass To Land may be charged. If the entry is to a building, but there is no intent to commit a theft or other felony, it may be Criminal Trespass To Land. Or, it may not even be a crime at all! Your experienced Northfield Burglary attorney Fred Mark Dry will be able to figure out which situation you are in.

Burglary has been charged in cases where a person enters a retail store during business hours, remains hidden until after closing, and then commits the theft or other offense. Store security cameras have made identification much easier. However, Fred Mark Dry, a burglary attorney who serves Northfield, Northern Cook and Lake counties has won cases where the video relied upon by the Government to prove guilt failed to provide the necessary evidence. Burglary can also be charged for unauthorized entry to a house-trailer or motor vehicle.

An ordinary residential burglary can become an even more serious crime known as Home Invasion if people are present in the home when the break-in happens. Use of a deception to gain entry, such as a false representation that the person works for the gas company or phone company will result in the more serious charge of Home Invasion. Similarly, if a person present on the premises is injured during the burglary, Home Invasion can be charged.

Robbery is where property is taken from a person by the use of force or violence or the threat of the use of force or violence. The threatened force could be as mundane as verbal threats combined with hand or body gestures. Actual force could include pushing, shoving, punching or striking with an implement. Or, the threat could be as serious as displaying or using guns or knives, or both. If a weapon is employed, it is known as Armed Robbery. A potential sentence could be enhanced by as little as fifteen years and up to twenty-five years just for the use of a gun. That would be in addition to any sentence for other crimes committed at the same time. After consultation and investigation, Northfield Robbery lawyer Fred Mark Dry can determine if your case can be successfully defended.

Vehicular Hijacking is a similar crime. However, it can be seen or described as robbery where the property taken is a car.

Vehicular Invasion is the crime of Burglary to a motor vehicle.

Fred Mark Dry, Burglary and Robbery lawyer serving Northfield and Northern Illinois can defend you or your loved one against any of these charges.