Tampa Robbery Attorney

To prove the crime of Robbery, the State must prove the following four elements beyond a reasonable doubt:

1. (Defendant) took [the] [a] [an] (money or property described in charge) from the person or custody of (person alleged).

2. Force, violence, assault, or putting in fear was used in the course of the taking.

3. The property taken was of some value.

4. The taking was with the intent to permanently or temporarily [deprive (victim) of [his] [her] right to the property or any benefit from it] [appropriate the property of (victim) to [his] [her] own use or to the use of any person not entitled to it].

Assault. § 784.011, Fla. Stat.
An “assault” is an intentional and unlawful threat, either by word or act, to do violence to a victim, when it appears the person making the threat has the ability to carry out the threat, and the act creates in the mind of that victim a well-founded fear that violence is about to take place.

Fear. Give only if applicable. Smithson v. State, 689 So. 2d 1226 (Fla. 5th DCA 1997).

If the circumstances were such as to ordinarily induce fear in the mind of a reasonable person, then a victim may be found to have been in fear, and actual fear on the part of a victim need not be shown.

In the course of the taking. § 812.13(3)(b), Fla. Stat.
Abandonment. Give bracketed language only if applicable. Peterson v. State, 24 So. 3d 686 (Fla. 2d DCA 2009).

“In the course of the taking” means that the act occurred prior to, contemporaneous with, or subsequent to the taking of the property and that the act and the taking of the property constitute a continuous series of acts or events.

[If a defendant abandoned the property that had been taken before he or she used force or threatened to use force, then the taking of the property and the use of force or threatened force was not a continuous series of acts or events. In such a case, the taking does not constitute Robbery, but may constitute Theft, and the use of force or threatened force may constitute separate crimes.]

Afterthought. Give only if applicable. DeJesus v. State, 98 So. 3d 105 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012).

If you find that the taking of property occurred as an afterthought to the
use of force or violence [or the threat of force or violence] against (victim), the
taking does not constitute Robbery, but may still constitute Theft.

Title to property. Give if applicable.

In order for a taking of property to be Robbery, it is not necessary that the
person robbed be the owner of the property. It is sufficient if the person has the
custody of the property at the time of the offense.

Force. Give bracketed language only if applicable. Thomas v. State, 36 So. 3d 853
(Fla. 3d DCA 2010).

The taking must be by the use of force or violence so as to overcome the
resistance of a person, or by putting a person in fear so that he or she does not
resist. [The law does not require the force, violence, assault, or putting in fear to
be exerted against the victim from whom the property was taken if the force,
violence, assault, or putting in fear was exerted against another in the course of
the taking.] The law does not require that a victim of Robbery resist to any
particular extent or that a victim offer any actual physical resistance if the
circumstances are such that a victim is placed in fear of death or great bodily
harm if he or she does resist. But unless prevented by fear, there must be some
resistance to make the taking one done by force or violence.

Victim unconscious. Give only if applicable.

It is also Robbery if a person, with intent to take the property from a
victim, administers any substance to that victim so that [he] [she] becomes
unconscious and then takes the property from the person or custody of that
victim.

Taking. Give if applicable.

In order for a taking by force, violence, or putting in fear to be Robbery, it
is not necessary that the taking be from the person of a victim. It is sufficient if
the property taken is under the custody of a victim so that it cannot be taken
without the use of force, violence, or intimidation directed against a victim.

Higher degrees of Robbery. Give only if applicable. § 812.13(3)(a), Fla. Stat.

If you find the defendant guilty of the crime of Robbery, you must further
determine beyond a reasonable doubt if “in the course of committing the
robbery” the defendant carried some kind of weapon. An act is “in the course of
committing the robbery” if it occurs in an attempt to commit robbery or in flight
after the attempt or commission.

With a firearm. § 812.13(2)(a), Fla. Stat.
If you find that the defendant carried a firearm in the course of
committing the Robbery, you should find [him] [her] guilty of Robbery with a
firearm.

A “firearm” means any weapon [including a starter gun] which will, is
designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an
explosive; [the frame or receiver of any such weapon;] [any firearm muffler or
firearm silencer;] [any destructive device;] [any machine gun]. [The term
“firearm” does not include an antique firearm unless the antique firearm is used
in the commission of a crime. An antique firearm is (insert definition in
§ 790.001, Fla. Stat.)]. [A destructive device is (insert definition in § 790.001, Fla.
Stat.)].

With a deadly weapon. § 812.13(2)(a), Fla. Stat.
If you find that the defendant carried a (deadly weapon described in charge)
in the course of committing the Robbery and that the (deadly weapon described in
charge) was a deadly weapon, you should find [him] [her] guilty of Robbery with a
deadly weapon.

A “deadly weapon” is any object, other than a firearm, that will likely
cause death or great bodily harm if used in the ordinary and usual manner
contemplated by its design and construction.

Give if applicable.
An object not designed to inflict death or great bodily harm may be a
“deadly weapon” if it was [used] [or] [threatened to be used] [or] [intended to be
used] in a manner likely to cause death or great bodily harm.

Give if applicable.
“Great bodily harm” means great as distinguished from slight, trivial,
minor, or moderate harm, and as such does not include mere bruises.
 

With other weapon. § 812.13(2)(b), Fla. Stat.
If you find that the defendant carried a weapon that was not a firearm or a
deadly weapon in the course of committing the Robbery, you should find [him]
[her] guilty of Robbery with a weapon.

A “weapon” is any object, other than a firearm, that will likely cause
bodily harm if used in the ordinary and usual manner contemplated by its design
and construction.

Give if applicable.
An object not designed to inflict bodily harm may be a “weapon” if it was
[used] [or] [threatened to be used] [or] [intended to be used] in a manner likely to
cause bodily harm.

With no firearm or weapon. § 812.13(2)(c), Fla. Stat.
If you find that the defendant carried no firearm or weapon in the course
of committing the Robbery, but did commit the Robbery, you should find [him]
[her] guilty only of Robbery.