What’s the Difference Between Robbery and Burglary?

Illinois residents who are facing a violent crime charge have plenty to worry about, from perceptions by others that they are dangerous to the potential sentence that could come with a conviction – likely to include years behind bars. In order to defend yourself against allegations of crimes of violence, you need to be prepared by first and foremost understanding the nature of the charges you face.

So, for example, what is the difference between a charge of robbery and a charge of burglary? Since these are usually crimes that are charged at the state-level, each state in the country might have a bit of a different variation on how these crimes are defined. But, in general, there are a couple of key differences.

Robbery versus burglary

The crime of robbery involves the use or threat of force to take property from another person. For instance, if a suspect is alleged to pull out a gun, point it at another person and say “give me your money,” those are usually sufficient facts to charge the suspect with robbery.

By contrast the crime of burglary involves entering a place without permission – the place could be a dwelling, other type of building or even a plane or boat – and then, while there, intend to commit a felony – usually theft.

These two criminal charges are oftentimes confused with each other, but they are really quite different crimes. If you are facing a robbery or burglary charge in Illinois, or any other violent crime charge for that matter, it is important to take the time to evaluate every part of the case to prepare a solid criminal defense strategy.