What is the Difference Between Theft and Robbery?

When an individual steals from another, they may be facing theft charges. While the consequences of being convicted of theft are serious, an upgraded robbery charge is even more serious and has greater penalties. The difference between theft and robbery is that theft crimes are only the act of an individual taking property that is not rightfully theirs. Robbery, on the other hand, is the use of force to take property that does not belong to the individual.

Robbery can consist of a number of different acts while attempting to take property from another person, including:

• Inflicting bodily harm on another
• Threatening bodily harm to another
• Threatens to commit or actually commits a felony of the first or second degree
• Threatening to hurt or actually hurting a third party in an effort to intimidate the victim of the robbery
• Stealing money from a financial institution (i.e. a bank) without permission by demand

If convicted of robbery, an individual will be facing a felony of the first degree. There are, however, some exceptions that robbery can be a felony of the second degree or a felony of the third degree. Regardless, any felony is very serious and it is important to consult with an experienced criminal defense attorney if you are charged with this crime.