Alabama Property and Casualty Practice Exam

Robbery of a watchperson is considered to be an?

1. Burglary

2. Robbery

3. Holdup

4. Extortion

The correct answer is: Burglary

Robbery of a watchperson is classified as robbery because it involves the unlawful taking of property from a person through force or intimidation. In this context, the act of taking the watchperson's possessions directly from their physical presence, while potentially threatening harm, aligns with the legal definition of robbery. The key distinction here is that robbery entails the use or threat of force against an individual, whereas burglary involves breaking into a structure with the intent to commit a crime, typically without confrontation. Holdup, while sometimes used interchangeably with robbery, generally refers to a specific type of robbery that occurs in a public place and may not fully capture the context of taking something from a watchperson. Extortion typically involves threats to obtain something of value but does not necessarily include the immediate confrontation that defines robbery. Thus, in this scenario, the correct classification is robbery, given the direct and forceful nature of the act against the watchperson.