Salt Lake City Burglary Attorney

Explanation of Burglary Charges in Salt Lake City

While considered to be a crime of theft, burglary differs in that the taking of someone's personal property does not actually need to occur for the crime to be convicted. In fact, according to §76-6-202 of the Utah Criminal Code, burglary is simply considered to be entering unlawfully into a build with felonious intentions. This could mean that the defendant had the intent to commit a theft, an assault, sexual battery, lewdness or any other felony. Due to this, it is tried as a third-degree felony, unless the building in which the burglary occurred was inside the home of another.

Burglary, which is also commonly referred to as "breaking and entering," is unique in that it is often paired with another crime. For example, say you are accused of breaking into a home and committing assault. You would not only be facing the burglary charges, you would also be facing those associated with the assault. This is a precarious situation in which to find yourself and can be difficult to imagine yourself overcoming such circumstances; it, however, is important to remember that there are defenses that can be utilized on your behalf - and the right Salt Lake City criminal lawyer will know how to.

Salt Lake City Criminal Attorney Defending Against Burglary

There are two main elements to any burglary case that must be proven for a defendant to be convicted - intent and consent. It is important that your lawyer look at these elements for the foundation of your defense. For example, if you did not have the intentions to commit a felonious act, then the burglary case falls flat. This can be a murky area of the law - especially if the crime was never actually committed and can be a strong foundation for a defense to rest one. Similarly, if it can be proved that the owner of the property invited you into your home or if you were entering onto property or into the building of which you were the owner, the charges could be dismissed.

At Rocky Mountain Defenders, PC, we recognize that it is daunting to face criminal charges of burglary, but we also realize that this is not a hopeless situation. If you have been criminally charged or arrested, we urge you to contact a Salt Lake City criminal defense attorney from our firm as soon as possible. We have vast experience in handling criminal cases involving theft crimes and we are prepared to put our experience to work in helping you protect your legal rights.

To learn more about how we can help you defend your legal rights, contact a Salt Lake City burglary defense lawyer from Rocky Mountain Defenders, PC as soon as you can.