Being charged with burglary is no laughing matter.
The hidden costs associated with burglary charges in Texas far exceed any fine you might have to pay or the jail time you will have to serve.
The fact of the matter is that your future is at stake.
An employer will be less likely to trust you if they discover that you broke into a building and tried to steal. Aside from a lack of trust, an employer may try to fire you and a university may think twice before admitting you. There is no way around it: being convicted of burglary will radically alter your ability to earn a living.
Therefore, it is vital for you to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help you fight the burglary charges pending against you.
Burglary Explained
Burglary is commonly defined as the unlawful breaking and entering into the structure of another with the intent to commit a crime inside.
According to that statute, there are three ways to commit burglary inNew Jersey.
Primarily, you will be guilty of burglary based on entering if you enter a research facility, structure, or separately secured or occupied portion of a structure at a time not open to the public and do so without permission (i.e. when not allowed to be on the premises) with the purpose of committing an offense on the premises.
Additionally, you will be guilty of burglary based on remaining if you surreptitiously remain in a research facility, structure, or separately secured or occupied portion of a structure while knowing that you are not allowed to do so.
The third form of burglary in Texas is uniquely associated with the property of a utility company.
Lastly, you will be guilty of burglary based on trespassing on utility company property if you trespass in or on utility company property where public notice prohibiting trespass is given (or where notice via conspicuous posting, fencing, or any other enclosure designed to exclude intruders exists).
Penalties For Burglary
Burglary can either be a third degree or second degree crime.
If you engage in any of the three prohibited types of burglary explained above, you will be guilty of a third degree crime.
That means you can be fined up to $15,000 and serve 3-5 years behind bars.
However, if you purposefully, knowingly, or recklessly attempt to inflict or threaten to inflict bodily injury on anyone during the commission of a burglary, you will be charged with a second degree crime.
Similarly, if you are armed with or display what appears to be an explosive or a deadly weapon, you will also be charged with a second degree crime.
If convicted of a second degree crime, you can be imprisoned for up to 10 years and forced to pay a $100,000 fine.
Remember, you can be convicted of burglary in Texas whether you make off with the goods or not and a prosecutor will be able to use circumstantial evidence in order to prove your intent.
Do not gamble with your future. Hire an experienced criminal attorney today.