Robbery & Aggravated Robbery

Robbery and Aggravated Robbery

(720 ILCS 5/18-1) Robbery; aggravated robbery.

    (a) Robbery. A person commits robbery when he or she knowingly takes property, except a motor vehicle, from the person or presence of another by the use of force or by threatening the imminent use of force.

    (b) Aggravated robbery.

        (1) A person commits aggravated robbery when he or she violates subsection (a) while indicating verbally or by his or her actions to the victim that he or she is presently armed with a firearm or other dangerous weapon, including a knife, club, ax, or bludgeon.

Penalty

The charge for taking property from someone’s person by force is robbery.  If the taking of the property is done in a way that the perpetrator makes the victim believe they armed with a dangerous weapon, the charge is considered aggravated robbery.  Robbery is a Class 2 felony, unless the victim is 60 years of age or over or is a person with a physical disability, or the robbery is committed in a school, day care center, day care home, group day care home, or part day child care facility, or place of worship, in which case robbery is a Class 1 felony. Aggravated robbery is a Class 1 felony.

Armed Robbery

(720 ILCS 5/18-2) Armed robbery.

    (a) A person commits armed robbery when he or she commits a robbery; and

        (1) he or she carries on or about his or her person or is otherwise armed with a dangerous weapon other than a firearm; or

        (2) he or she carries on or about his or her person or is otherwise armed with a firearm; or

        (3) he or she, during the commission of the offense, personally discharges a firearm; or

        (4) he or she, during the commission of the offense, personally discharges a firearm that proximately causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, permanent disfigurement, or death to another person.

Penalty

In Illinois, armed robbery is a Class X offense and is not a charge for which probation is possible.  Additionally, with the presence of a firearm during the commission of an armed robbery, an extra 15 years can be added to the Class X sentencing.