Robbery is the taking of another person’s money or property without their permission. The word robbery implies the use of force, but theft can be committed in many ways, including deception, trickery, false pretenses and embezzlement. Both robbery and theft can be either petty or grand in nature, depending on the value of the items taken.
If a weapon was used during the robbery, it is considered armed robbery. This offense is a serious felony, which is punishable by up to life in prison. An offender can also receive an enhancement if they cause great bodily harm or death during the robbery. This will increase their sentence to between 20 and 25 years in prison.
Distinguishing robbery from burglary and other types of theft can be confusing because they often share similar elements. However, if you can distinguish that the difference is how the property was taken then you may be able to defend yourself against these charges.
In most cases, the perpetrator will get a custodial sentence unless the crime is low-harm and culpability and has other mitigating factors. A conviction for robbery can be a strike on your record, which will lead to a higher maximum sentence and could cause other consequences, such as loss of employment or restitution to the victim.
If you were an accessory to a robbery, it is important to know that you must withdraw your support of the crime before the perpetrator commits it. For example, if you were friends with someone planning a robbery and tried to convince them not to do it, but they refused and went through with their plan, you could be charged with an accessory after the fact, but not a robbery offense since you did not physically help in the crime itself.