Armed robbery suspect has a right to a criminal defense

Witness accounts and descriptions are frequently used to apprehend suspects in Louisiana. Just because a person who is apprehended appears to match a description provided by a witness does not preclude that person from the legal protections available to all those accused of a crime, including the presumption of innocence. The suspect has a right to a criminal defense.

In a recent case in Jefferson County, a truck driver was apprehended after witnesses provided a description of him and the truck he was driving as having allegedly been involved in two armed robberies. The suspect is accused of stealing empty CD cases from a store where he reportedly lifted his shirt and displayed a gun. Following this robbery, the suspect then supposedly proceeded to a nearby gas station and is suspected of robbing the gas station at gunpoint.

The entire episode described above began after an alleged threat made to an employee and another truck driver at a local truck stop. The suspect was apprehended by Marion and Jefferson County officers. They stopped the truck with the use of stop sticks placed in the road that punctured the truck’s tires. The officers reported recovering a firearm from the man’s truck. The suspect is in custody awaiting formal charges.

Being held as a suspect in a violent crime may be very unsettling. Nevertheless, he or she is presumed innocent until — and only if — proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and has a constitutional right to a criminal defense. A person who finds him or herself in this situation in Louisiana could benefit from speaking with an experienced criminal law attorney. A knowledgeable attorney can review the evidence and advise his or her client as to the best legal path to pursue.

Source: thexradio.com, “Two Armed Robberies Lands Louisiana Man in Custody“, Matt Robinson, May 27, 2018