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Are you looking for a burglary defense lawyer in Miami, FL? The Law Offices of Ama-Mariya Hoffenden provides tailored legal representation and consultations for anyone charged with burglary crimes of varying severity.

Under Florida law, burglary can have particularly severe penalties, but as your defense attorney, we will ensure that every possible angle of defense is leveraged and we present the strongest case to the judge.

What Is Burglary?

Under F.S. 810.02, the law defines burglary as a crime committed when it involves entering a dwelling, structure, or a conveyance with the intent of committing a crime, except when the property is either open to the public or the person has been invited into the property.

Burglary also occurs when an individual who has been legally present in a building or dwelling remains there with the intent to commit a crime after their permission to be in the property has been withdrawn.

Under the law, a structure is any kind of building that isn’t designed to be lived in, while a dwelling is a place where someone either lives or is present at a time. For a conveyance, the law is referencing boats, trailers, cars, and similar kinds of property.

What Types of Burglaries Do We Handle?

At the Law Offices of Ama-Mariya Hoffenden, we represent the interests and rights of anybody charged with any kind of burglary crime. Whatever your charge, we’ll offer the best, most comprehensive representation from a team of top burglary lawyers in Miami.

Our Miami burglary defense lawyers handle the following kinds of burglary charges:

Residential Burglary

Residential burglary is the most common charge and the most common form of burglary. To be charged with this kind of crime, an individual must be accused of entering a home, apartment, or dwelling without the permission of the owner or the tenant. The individual must have an intent to commit theft in the residential building.

Commercial Burglary

While commercial burglary is a less common crime, it does still happen. If you are accused of this crime, it means you are accused of entering business premises without permission with the intention of taking goods that do not belong to you. These cases often involve security camera footage.

Burglary of a Car

Burglary of a car relates to the breaking of windows or doors to enter a car and steal goods from inside of the car, or other conveyance, like a boat or a trailer. It is different from car theft in that the car does not need to be stolen for a burglary crime to be committed.

Armed Burglary

Armed burglary (and assault/battery – which comes with the use or threat of use of weapons during a burglary) is a felony of the first degree and may be punished by a sentence of up to thirty years in a Florida state prison. It carries a minimum mandatory sentence of between 10 and 20 years and is defined as a burglary where the individual committing the act is armed with a weapon.

Why Do You Need a Burglary Defense Lawyer?

When you are charged with burglary, you could be facing decades in state prison. It depends on multiple factors, ranging from the severity of your crime to your criminal record (or whether you have one or not).

Being convicted of a burglary can have a dramatic impact on your life, whether you’re in prison for years or for decades. That is what makes a burglary attorney such an important part of your case.

At the Law Offices of Ama-Mariya Hoffenden, we have a strong local connection, years of experience with local courts and judges, and deep knowledge of the law that allows us to develop strong, robust defenses for all kinds of burglary cases.

Whether you have been wrongly accused or there are mitigating factors that the judge needs to hear, our burglary defense attorneys will defend your rights aggressively and fight to minimize sentencing as much as we can. Without proper legal representation, your liberty and rights are very much at risk.

What Are the Penalties for Burglary in Florida?

Florida applies strict penalties to crimes like burglary, with the length of time in prison determined by various factors like the severity of the offenses committed, the value of the property stolen, prior criminal record, and so on. Your sentence will likely depend on the quality of the defense provided by your burglary defense lawyer.

The minimum and maximum sentences are also dictated by the degree of the offense.

First-Degree Felony Burglary

The first-degree burglary occurs when an individual commits assault and battery against somebody else while illegally present on someone else’s property. It typically involves a dangerous weapon or an explosive and must cause damage in excess of $1,000. This can carry a sentence of up to life in prison.

Second-Degree Felony Burglary

A second-degree felony burglary involves no assault or battery and the person committing the crime will not be armed. It is defined by the burglary occurring in a property – either a dwelling or a conveyance – is occupied by people who live there. In short, it is the burglary of somebody else’s home. It carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Third-Degree Felony Burglary

A third-degree felony burglary is defined by the defendant entering a building or conveyance that is not a dwelling with the intent to commit a crime. The defendant must not be armed. This crime is punishable by a sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000.

Call Miami’s Expert Burglary Lawyers Today

Don’t risk your liberty. Call Ama-Mariya Hoffenden today to defend you against burglary charges.

It all starts with a consultation. Give our expert Miami burglary lawyers a call today at (786) 353-4202!