Robbery is a felony in the State of Washington.
Washington State Law defines Robbery as the following:
“A person commits robbery when he unlawfully takes personal property from the person of another or in his presence against his will by the use or threatened use of immediate force, violence, or fear of injury to that person or his property or the person or property of anyone. Such force or fear must be used to obtain or retain possession of the stolen property, or to prevent or overcome resistance to the taking; in either of which cases the degree of force is immaterial. Such taking constitutes robbery whenever it appears that, although the taking was fully completed without the knowledge of the person from whom taken, such knowledge was prevented by the use of force or fear.”
In virtually all cases, robbery requires the presence of a victim who is injured, suffers harm, or is threatened by potential harm.
In order for a crime to be classified as robbery and not a lesser crime in Washington State, there are three key elements that must be present:
- The trespassing and taking and moving of money or property from another without consent and with the intent to permanently deprive that person of the money or property (the offender doesn’t intend to return the property).
- There must be violence or threat of immediate violence.
- The taking must be from the victim or in the victim’s presence.
Robbery Classifications
A person is guilty of Robbery in the First Degree in Washington State if during the act or immediate flight from robbery the defendant is armed with a deadly weapon, displays what appears to be a deadly weapon, inflicts bodily injury on another, or commits the crime within and against a financial institution. Robbery in the First Degree is a Class A felony.
A person is guilty of Robbery in the Second Degree in Washington State if no weapon is used or nobody is injured, and the act is not committed against a financial institution. Robbery in the Second Degree is a Class B felony.
Robbery Related Charges Can Include:
- Grand theft
- Petty theft or shoplifting
- Armed robbery
- Aggravated robbery
Some basic examples of robbery are: (1) the taking of property, including money, from a victim at gunpoint or (2) knocking the victim unconscious and then taking his or her property. The property taken must be on the person (a wallet in a pocket, a purse on a shoulder, for example), or so near to the person that, if not for the violence or threat of violence, the person could have prevented its taking.
The criminal defense attorneys that make up the criminal defense team at SQ Attorneys is specifically dedicated to providing aggressive representation for those charged with, or otherwise accused of, Robbery in Western Washington.
