Robbery by Sudden Snatching

The criminal offense of robbery by sudden snatching under Florida Statute Section 812.131(2)(b) means the taking of money or other property from the victim’s person, with intent to permanently or temporarily deprive the victim or the owner of the money or other property, when, in the course of the taking, the victim was or became aware of the taking.

The offense is listed as ROBBERY BY SUDDEN SNATCHING (ROBB1062) on the jail inquiry on the website of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Attorney for Sudden Snatching Robbery in Tampa, FL

If you were arrested for robbery by sudden snatching in Hillsborough County, FL, or the surrounding areas in the greater Tampa Bay area, then contact a criminal defense attorney at the Sammis Law Firm.

During the initial consultation, we can discuss the elements of the offense, potential penalties for robbery by sudden snatching, and the best defenses to the charges in Tampa, Hillsborough County, FL.

Contact us to talk with an attorney today about the charges. Call 813-250-0500.


Penalties for Robbery by Sudden Snatching

If in the course of committing a robbery by sudden snatching the defendant carries a firearm or other deadly weapon, the robbery by sudden snatching is a felony of the second degree punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

If in the course of committing a robbery by sudden snatching the defendant carries no firearm or other deadly weapon, the robbery by sudden snatching is a felony of the third degree.


Elements of Robbery by Sudden Snatching

As required by Florida Statute Section 812.131(2)(b), the prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office must prove the following elements beyond all reasonable doubt at trial:

(a) The offender used any amount of force beyond that effort necessary to obtain possession of the money or other property; or

(b) There was any resistance offered by the victim to the offender or that there was injury to the victim’s person.


Force and Resistance During the Robbery

The crime of robbery by sudden snatching requires that the stolen property must have been abruptly and unexpectedly plucked from the embrace of the person, not from that person’s figurative biosphere. See Walls v. State, 977 So. 2d 802 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008).

The robbery statute also requires that the victim must become aware of the sudden snatching while it is underway. See Brown v. State, 848 So. 2d 361 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003).

For example, the courts have ruled that the evidence at trial did not support a conviction of robbery by sudden snatching where the defendant did not take a purse from the victim’s person but, rather, from the victim’s shopping cart or the seat of a car, or a park bench.

Call a criminal defense attorney at the Sammis Law Firm to discuss the specific facts of your theft crime or home invasion robbery case today.


This article was last updated on Friday, March 4, 2022.