People v. Beamon

In People v. Beamon (1973) 8 Cal.3d 625, 105 Cal. Rptr. 681, 504 P.2d 905, the defendant pointed a gun and ordered the driver of a liquor delivery truck onto the floor of the cab of the truck. The defendant drove the truck away. When the truck stopped, a struggle ensued and the driver was able to escape. The perpetrator then abandoned the truck without removing anything from the vehicle. The defendant argued he could not be convicted of robbery because he did not carry anything away from the truck. The Supreme Court rejected the argument as frivolous. "The evidence clearly supports the necessary finding that defendant when he forced the driver at gunpoint to the floor of the cab and drove off evidenced an intent to and did in fact deprive the victim of possession of the truck and the personal property therein. Not only did defendant have dominion and control over the truck and its contents but also over the victim, and the robbery did not remain incomplete merely because defendant abducted both the truck and the victim...." ( People v. Beamon, supra, 8 Cal.3d at p. 635.)