What distinguishes robbery from larceny?

• A. Robbery requires force or intimidation in addition to taking property.
• B. Larceny requires force to steal.
• C. Robbery requires the victim's consent.
• D. Larceny requires the use of a weapon.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that robbery adds an element of force or intimidation to the act of taking property. If someone takes property from another person or from their immediate surroundings by threats or actual violence, that act is robbery. Larceny, by contrast, is simply the trespassory taking and carrying away of someone else’s property with the intent to permanently deprive, and it does not require any force or intimidation directed at the victim. A weapon isn’t required for larceny, and robbery does not depend on the victim’s consent being absent as the defining factor—that absence of consent is already inherent in the use of force or threats. So the presence of force or intimidation is what makes robbery distinct from larceny.