Robbery

Someone commits robbery in Texas when they take or try to take something and either cause or threaten to cause the person bodily injury to someone.  It is typically indicted as a 2nd degree felony and usually has a range of punishment of 2-20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.  The citizen accused of robbery does not actually have to acquire property to commit the offense of robbery.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has held, “[T]he gravamen of robbery is the assaultive conduct, not the theft.”  This can also occur in the debt collection arena.  It is not permissible to collect a debt using force according to the Texarkana Court of Appeals. 

This offense is enhanced to a 1st degree felony (5-99 years confinement) if the victim is 65 years of age or older, or disabled.

There are numerous defenses to Robbery, so just because someone is accused of the offense does not mean that they are going to be convicted.