Robbery is when you take the property of another, including money, with force or threat of force and violence, or by putting someone in fear. It is a more serious form of theft than larceny, and it also carries a harsher penalty. If you are found guilty of Robbery you could face a prison sentence, restitution and community service. The judge will also consider your criminal record and whether you have a previous conviction for this crime. If you have a previous strike on your record the judge may order you to serve double the normal prison sentence.
The first element of robbery is that you must take the property of another with the intention of depriving them of it permanently. This is a much stricter requirement than the elements of larceny, which only requires an intent to steal, and it is one of the reasons that robbery is a felony.
Many states have laws that allow you to be charged with a more serious form of the offense if you use more force during the robbery, such as armed robbery. In New York, you can even be charged with robbery in the second degree if you display what appears to be a gun during flight after the robbery.
The defendants in a robbery case can often raise various defenses, such as challenging the theft aspect or arguing that they did not use force. For example, a defendant might argue that a polite beggar asking for spare cash does not satisfy the force element, because the victim is not subjectively made to feel afraid.