Mason v. Commonwealth

William Paul Mason was convicted by a jury of robbery and his term of confinement fixed at life imprisonment. Accused insisted that the evidence was insufficient to sustain a finding of robbery, and moved to set the verdict aside as contrary to the law and evidence. His motion was overruled and judgment entered on the verdict. We granted an appeal.

The indictment charged Mason with robbery of “Joseph Grimes, by violence and intimidation, by the threat and presentation of firearms.”

No statute in Virginia defines robbery, and to constitute robbery all of the elements essential at common law must…