When a defendant is facing criminal charges, much of their future could be determined based on these charges. Because they could significantly impact their life and those close to them, it is important that the defendant defend the charges in order to protect their innocence or have the charges dropped or reduced.
Two men were recently apprehended by Lake Charles Police officers on suspicion of armed robbery. The arrest happened after the two allegedly stuck up an Instacash payday loan business at 10 in the morning. The two then presumably fled in a stolen truck.
The 19 and 29-years-old Lake Charles residents allegedly used masks and gloves to take an undisclosed amount of cash at gunpoint. It was alleged that they then burned their getaway vehicle in a vacant lot in an effort to cover their tracks. Officers located and arrested them in separate locations several hours later.
The men face several serious felony charges, including armed robbery, armed robbery with use of a firearm and arson.
Police are still gathering information about the alleged crime against the suspects. One officer characterized the robbery and getaway as relatively well planned and police were able to follow the sequence of events without much trouble.
One way for the alleged robbers to contest these allegations is by establishing a criminal defense, including contesting police allegations that the identity of the perpetrators is known, which may be hard to prove given the robbers were wearing masks at the time of the crime.
In Louisiana, a repeat offense can elevate simple misdemeanor charges to felony charges with stiffer penalties. Generally, a felony conviction is punishable by prison time of at least one year and substantial fines. When facing serious charges, it is important to further investigation in order to make a strong defense. In some cases, the defendant might benefit by making a plea bargain.
Anyone charged with a crime should seek advice about the situation and what potential options and defense paths they might have. This can help the accused establish a criminal defense and expose any procedural flaws during arrest and show the court evidence that the accused is not guilty of the charge.
Source: Kplctv, “Two facing charges in armed robbery,” Gerron Jordan and Elona Weston, Oct. 16, 2013
