Louisiana Prison Sentence Guidelines for Robbery and Theft

In my 20 years as a Louisiana criminal defense attorney and public defender, I have handled all types of criminal charges. One of the first questions I hear from clients is — what is my prison sentence if I’m convicted? So here are the minimum and maximum prison sentences in Louisiana for some common crimes.

Armed Robbery – This is taking something of value from another person by use of force or intimidation while armed with a dangerous weapon. The weapon does not necessarily need to be a gun – it can be any object that is used to intimidate — a knife, for example, would be sufficient. This crime carries a minimum sentence of 10 years to a maximum of 99 years –meaning that if you are convicted of the crime, the minimum sentence you will receive is 10 years but it could possibly be more.

First Degree Robbery – The taking of something of value when the offender does not have a weapon, but leads the victim to believe that they do have a weapon. This crime carries a minimum of 3 years to a maximum of 40 years.

Simple Robbery – Taking something of value by use of force or intimidation, but not armed with a dangerous weapon. An example would be if the offender reaches over the counter at a convenience store and takes money from the cash register. This crime carries a prison exposure of 0 to 7 years.

Carjacking – Taking a motor vehicle by use of force or intimidation. There does not need to be a weapon involved. Exposure on this crime is 2 – 20 years.

Purse Snatching – Theft of anything of value from a purse or wallet when, at the time of the theft, the victim has immediate control of the purse and the purse is taken by force and intimidation but the offender is not armed with a dangerous weapon. Prison exposure is 2 – 20 years.

Theft – Taking anything of value which belongs to another, either without their consent or by means of fraudulent conduct. There must be an intent to deprive the other person permanently of the item. So, for example, if you walk into your neighbor’s garage and take their lawnmower and put in your garage to use one time, it would not be theft. Theft, unlike the other crimes mentioned above, carries a prison exposure based on the value of the item taken. If the value is $500 or more, the exposure is 0 – 10 years. When the value is $300 – $500, the exposure is 0 – 2 years. If the value is less than $300, the charge becomes a misdemeanor and the exposure is 0 – 6 months.

If you would like more information about your specific robbery or theft charge in Louisiana or Mississippi, please call my criminal defense law office for a free consultation.