 |
| Robbery not allowed (Photo credit: Arenamontanus) |
With the tourist season in full
swing, crime is on the rise. Every
year there are a few individuals on vacation that take advantage of the area
and conversely, sometimes this area takes advantage of them. On occasion, individuals are arrested
for incidents for which they should have never been arrested. And sometimes an arrest is the only way
to stop a perpetrator from harming others. There are some occasions in which victims don’t always tell
the whole story and it surprises me to see both sides. Old sayings are old sayings for a
reason….they make sense. As I was
always told, there are two sides to a coin.
Our reporting of arrests and
crimes has become a hobby to some and a job to others. There are several newspapers dedicated
to recently arrested individuals, posting their mug shots for everyone to
see. What people must understand
is that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. What you see and hear in the news is just one side of the
story and people must remember that sometimes individuals arrested are not
guilty of anything.
Take for instance a report on WMBF
stating that Myrtle Beach police are still searching for a suspect that robbed
a woman over the weekend in a parking garage. The man accused threatened to
shoot the victim if she did not give him everything she had. The suspect escaped with $40 dollars. Whether the suspect had a weapon or not,
the suspect can still be charged with the crime of robbery. If the suspect had in fact been carrying
a weapon, which is uncertain according to the facts of the case, then the
suspect could be charged with armed robbery.
Robbery is statutorily defined in
South Carolina as the felonious or unlawful taking of money, goods, or other
personal property of any value from the person of another or in his presence by
violence or by putting such person in fear. If the suspect is found, charged, and convicted of the crime
of robbery, he will face prison time of a term not less than 10 years and for
no more than 30 years. A person
convicted of robbery is not eligible for parole until he has served at least 7
years of the sentence.
Robbery is a felony and as such
the penalty involves a prison sentence. Now consider a “what if” here. What if, this was a drug deal, which
went bad? Does that change your
opinion of the crime, the report, and the penalty associated with the
crime? Every criminal defendant is
entitled to a defense attorney if they so wish. People make mistakes and it is
possible that the wrong man may face robbery charges because the victim is
mistaken about his identity. It may also be the case that the victim is not telling
the whole story. Whatever the
facts of this case, it is always the safest bet to keep an open mind and consider
that one side of a story is being told.
If you or a loved one has been
charged with a crime such as robbery, armed robbery or any other crime, contact
Daniel A. Selwa, II for a free consulation.
The details of the recent robbery
in Myrtle Beach is attached.
No comments:
Post a Comment