Burglary First Degree

In Maryland, first degree burglary is a felony with a maximum jail sentence of up to 20 years.   This is an extremely serious crime, and continues to be quite common throughout the state.  First degree is also an example of a crime that produces hundreds of false arrests and wrongful prosecutions.  If you or someone you know has been charged with this crime, contact an experienced Maryland burglary lawyer immediately.  Police often arrest suspects without enough evidence to go to a jury or a judge, and hope to get evidence from the defendant through interrogation.  Do not let this happen to you or someone you care about!  A defense lawyer can begin working on your case immediately and can make sure that the police do not get any help from the very people they are tying to put in jail.  Additionally a lawyer can fight for a reasonable bail by introducing evidence to the State or the judge that tends to prove the police were wrong.

The legal definition of first degree burglary is the breaking and entering of the dwelling of another person with the intent to commit either a theft or a violent crime.  A dwelling is simply another word for a person’s place of residence, and can include freestanding houses, apartments, trailer homes, and condos.  Of all dwellings, freestanding houses are the most vulnerable to theft crimes.  Most homeowners or renters of freestanding houses assume that their homes are secure as long as the door is locked or their alarm system is armed.  In reality, if a burglar wants to gain access to a free standing home, he or she will have little difficulty.  Most freestanding homes are not as secure as commercial places such as stores and offices, and especially older home have visible security weaknesses.  More homes are beginning to  have surveillance cameras such as Ring doorbells, but these cameras are not often as sophisticated as commercial cameras.  Additionally they often record individuals who have nothing to do with the burglary or in other cases only reveal only partial identifications.  This is a big reason why home burglaries can produce wrongful arrests and must be handled by an skilled criminal lawyer.

In every first degree case there is a victim that typically wants police to make an arrest sooner than later.  Pressure from homeowners or renters who have been burglarized can often lead to the police making a hasty arrest, which can be extremely dangerous.  Police want to solve crimes quickly and efficiently, but this can lead to a Maryland police officer thinking a burglary case is solved, when in reality the wrong person was arrested.  Many first degree cases in Maryland are solved by police using either eyewitness lineup identification or latent evidence such as finger printing or DNA.  The actual victims of first degree burglaries are rarely home because burglars typically stay away from occupied homes.  Therefore, arrests based on eyewitness identification usually come from witnesses who were standing far away from the scene of the crime, and had a limited ability to accurately identify the correct suspect.  Another factor to consider is that burglary victims often show up to court and attempt to sway the judge or the State for a harsher punishment.  Benjamin Herbst is an experienced criminal attorney understands that police frequently make mistakes in first degree burglary cases, and these mistakes can ruin a person’s life. The Herbst Firm will take on both police and prosecutors in your case, and are always available for a free consultation at 410-207-2598.