Which degree of Robbery is defined by the offender being armed with a deadly weapon or displaying what appears to be a firearm during the robbery or in immediate flight?

• A. Robbery (1st Degree)
• B. Robbery (2nd Degree)
• C. Robbery (3rd Degree)
• D. Identity Theft

Answer: (A)

When a robbery involves threatening the victim with a weapon, the law treats the risk to the victim as more serious. If the offender is armed with a deadly weapon or displays what appears to be a firearm during the robbery or while fleeing, the offense is classified as Robbery in the first degree. That weapon presence or simulated weapon during the act or in immediate flight signals a heightened threat, which is why it carries the highest level of seriousness among robbery offenses. Identity Theft is a different crime altogether, and robbing without a weapon or with less dangerous circumstances would fall into the lower degrees. The key point is that the display or use of a deadly weapon in the robbery or during flight pushes the charge to the top tier.