A
criminal offense of burglary occurs
when the accused
willingly enters a
dwelling, structure, or
conveyance owned or in the possession of
another, with the intent to commit a crime while in
the
dwelling, structure, or conveyance.
Florida statues do
not require the offender to physically commit a
breaking and entering in the course of a burglary
crime. One may be charged with burglary if they
simply trespass by walking through an open door.
The burden on the
prosecutors is to show beyond a reasonable doubt
that there was intent to commit the crime. If intent
cannot be proven to commit a crime other than
illegally entering dwelling, structure, or
conveyance, a burglary conviction is not
supported under Florida law.
Contact
an experienced Lakeland burglary
defense attorney & lawyer
at
The Law Office of
Gail Cheatwood, P.A.,
by calling
(863) 686-0975,
and schedule a confidential consultation.
As an experienced
Lakeland burglary attorney &
lawyer,
Gail Cheatwood
has successfully represented numerous Lakeland,
Winter Haven, Bartow,
or Polk County Florida area residents in the
defense of burglary charges and other criminal defense legal
issues.
Some
of the burglary charges one may commonly face
include, but are not limited to:
-
Third Degree Felony Burglary
Charge:
burglary of a structure or conveyance: punishable by a
maximum of 5 years in prison and a $5,000.00 fine, with
potential enhanced penalties for habitual offenders.
Involves theft of property or assets which a of $300.00 or
greater in value.
-
Second Degree Felony Burglary
Charge:
Burglary of a dwelling: punishable by a maximum of 15 years
in prison and a $10,000.00 fine, with potential enhanced
penalties for habitual offenders. Involves theft of property
or assets which a of $300.00 or greater in value.
If a
burglary involves battery as well, the charge may be
Burglary with battery which may result in Life
Imprisonment in the Florida State Prison.
Law
enforcement and prosecutors take burglary charges
very seriously due to the potential harm of the
general public and will actively seek to gather any
evidence against you which will not only support the
burglary charge, but that which may support other
criminal charges which will add to the charges which
you must defend yourself against.
This
serves two purposes: To increase the likelihood of a
conviction, or to stack the deck against you so that
you feel there is no other choice but to accept a
plea, even when you are innocent of the charges
against you.
This tactic has
been proven to be quite effective for the State when the accused
does not seek and obtain the legal advice and representation of
experienced legal counsel. If you have been charged with a
burglary crime in
Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow,
or Polk County Florida,
contact an experienced
burglary defense attorney &
lawyer at
The Law Office of
Gail Cheatwood, P.A., today
by calling
(863) 686-0975.
Your reputation is not the only thing at stake when facing
burglary charges or other criminal offenses, but your
liberties, rights, freedom as well. It is well documented that
those who are innocent have been known to have served or are
currently serving time in our County Jails and State Prisons.
You should make every effort to ensure you are not one of these
statistics. Seek experienced legal counsel to stand up and fight
for your legal rights, giving you the best opportunity to be
treated fairly by the criminal justice system.
If you
would like to schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced
Lakeland
burglary
defense attorney & lawyer
who proudly serves the
Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow,
or Polk County Florida
area, contact
The Law Office of
Gail Cheatwood, P.A.,
by calling
(863) 686-0975
or by email by filling out our confidential
case submission form.
