Criminal Defense Attorney

One question that is often asked by individuals consulting with our office when recently arrested for a crime has to do with the crime of Burglary. Many people simply do not understand why they are booked on charges which include burglary. Many people think that if they haven’t broken into a home or business, they can’t, or shouldn’t, be charged with the serious crime of Burglary. This reaction is a natural one, given that when people hear the term “Burglar” they often get a mental image of the Hollywood cat burglar, clothed in all black, breaking into a business with a crowbar and sneaking out the back door with a shiny new television. In Nevada however, there are literally thousands of different factual circumstances which amount to Burglary.

In Nevada, Burglary laws are contained in Nevada Revised Statute (“NRS”) Chapter 205, which covers “Crimes Against Property” and are specifically defined in NRS 205.060. In contrast to the limited example of the cat burglar above, Nevada defines Burglary as occurring when someone enters any structure (such as a business, store, apartment, residence, home, house, room or a vehicle such as a car or truck) when the person entering has the intent to commit any of the following inside: larceny, assault, battery, obtaining money or property under false pretenses or any other felony. Such a crime has serious consequences — Burglary is a category “B” Felony carrying the potential of 1-10 years in prison and a fine up to and including $10,000.00.

NOTE: EFFECTIVE MAY 26, 2015, THE LAS VEGAS JUSTICE COURT BAIL SCHEDULE HAS CHANGED. PLEASE SEE OUR BLOG POST DATED MAY 21, 2015 FOR THE UPDATED BAIL SCHEDULE REFLECTED HERE:

One of the more common questions asked by people contacting my office after they, or a family member, has been arrested is – – “How much will bail be.”

While the State Court System in Las Vegas, more precisely in Clark County Justice Court, has had a “standard bail schedule” for many years, effective September 1, of 2011, the Court implemented a simplified system, which is commonly followed by Courts in Las Vegas when setting bail in criminal cases.

The Justice Court, Las Vegas Township STANDARD BAIL SCHEDULE can be found online and is often the main point of reference for judges setting bail in criminal cases.

The STANDARD BAIL SCHEDULE sets bail by individual offense or by level of offense, as identified in the Nevada Revised Statues (or “NRS”).

Some crimes have no standard bail and are typically referred to as “set in court” bail amounts. In those instances, judges will traditionally listen to argument from the parties (the prosecutor and the defense attorney) before setting bail. Among the offenses which are “set in court” amounts are:

Category “A” Felonies:

Category “A” Felonies are the most serious charges in Nevada. By definition, a category “A” felony is any crime which can carry the potential of a life sentence. They include the following crimes and offenses: MURDER, SEXUAL ASSAULT, FIRST DEGREE KIDNAPPING and HIGH LEVEL TRAFFICKING in a CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE; and

Articles Tagged with Criminal Defense Attorney

Wait a minute, I didn’t steal anything – – So why am I being charged with Burglary??

What will my bail be? The Las Vegas Justice Court Standard Bail schedule