Burglary is one of the most misunderstood crimes in Missouri as people often confuse Burglary with Robbery or Theft.
Burglary is defined by Missouri Statute by:
- knowingly entering unlawfully into an inhabitable structure
- with the intent to commit a crime therein.
Most people have a vision of a person using tools to physically break into the home or building and yet under Missouri Law there is no requirement that a person use force to enter the building. A person can be charged with Burglary for opening an unlocked door and going into the building to commit a crime inside the building. Burglary has varying degrees from Burglary 1st (the most severe) to Trespassing (least severe) that can be broken down in the following ways:
- Burglary 1st (Class B Felony)
- Burglary 2nd (Class C Felony)
- Trespassing (Class A Misdemeanor)
There are some major differences between Burglary 1st,Burglary 2nd and Trespassing. The biggest difference is that for a person to be charged with Burglary 1st the person must be armed with a deadly weapon or there must be a person who is present in the building who is not participating in the crime. This is very important because a Burglary 1st is a class B Felony with a range of punishment of a minimum of 5 years with a maximum of 15 years. Burglary 2nd only requires that a person unlawfully enter into a building with the intent to commit a crime therein. Burglary 2nd is a Class C Felony which is a range of punishment of 1 day up to 7 years in prison. Trespassing 1st is B Misdemeanor and this is usually a crime where either a person unlawfully enters or remains upon real property.
Felony Burglary cases in the state of Missouri are typically complicated cases that require an experienced Missouri criminal defense attorney to investigate the facts of your case and prepare all of the possible defenses in your case.
How Can Our Burglary Charges Attorneys Help You
Our St. Louis firm, Sansone & Lauber, has successfully handled these types of cases and has obtained outstanding results for our clients. Contact Sansone & Lauber for a free consultation on your case today. Sansone & Lauber is civil and criminal trial law firm that handles cases all throughout the state of Missouri.