Facing criminal charges can be a stressful time in anyone’s life. Considering that, one of the most common crimes people commit involves burglaries. Some people might think they know what officially constitutes burglary in Louisiana. But you might be unaware that burglaries must meet certain criteria.
Breaking into a property
For burglaries to occur, someone must illegally break into a property. If someone let you into a building, you didn’t break into this structure. It’s also important to note that you don’t need to fully enter a building for a burglary to occur. Even reaching your hand inside a building through a window or door might meet the requirements of a burglary charge.
An actual structure
Another important component in criminal defense burglary cases involves what meets the requirements of a structure or building. As you likely know, there are many properties throughout the country in various states of disrepair. For example, an abandoned building in bad shape isn’t likely to meet the legal requirements of an actual building.
The intent to commit a crime
Lastly, the very important third burglary element is that a crime actually took place. For instance, someone often commits theft during a burglary. But that’s not always the case. Someone might commit fraud while lying to another person to enter an occupied building. Even though this person didn’t take anything, they could still face burglary charges.
In conclusion, there are several main elements of burglaries. If you’re facing burglary charges, it can be comforting to know that the other party has a lot of things to prove. If the other party can’t prove all three burglary elements occurred, you might not face any charges.
