The bill amends the Arkansas Code concerning the offenses of robbery and aggravated robbery. Specifically, it revises the definition of robbery in Arkansas Code 5-12-102(a) to clarify the circumstances under which a person can be charged with robbery. The new language states that a person commits robbery if they employ or threaten to employ physical force, or create a circumstance that would cause a reasonable person to believe that the use of physical force is imminent, while intending to commit a felony or misdemeanor theft or resisting apprehension after committing such theft.

This amendment aims to enhance the legal framework surrounding robbery by providing clearer criteria for what constitutes the threat of physical force. By including the concept of creating a circumstance that suggests imminent physical force, the law seeks to address various scenarios that may not have been adequately covered under the previous definition.

Statutes affected:
SB 512: 5-12-102(a)
Act 758: 5-12-102(a)