469 P.3d 238
Or. Ct. App.2020Background
- Victim and Hopkins were longtime neighbors and friends; Hopkins was invited into the victim’s one‑bedroom apartment for the victim’s birthday and to run errands together.
- After a short visit, Hopkins stood behind the victim, put a rope around the victim’s neck and began strangling her; the victim struggled and put fingers between the rope and her neck.
- Hopkins continued escalating violence (bludgeoning with statues, suffocation attempt, hammer blows, attempted drowning) and removed the victim’s bra to take a bottle of oxycodone.
- Hopkins was charged with attempted aggravated murder and two counts of first‑degree burglary (charging unlawful remaining with intent to commit theft and assault).
- At trial (bench trial), the court denied Hopkins’s motion for judgment of acquittal on the burglary counts; the court found implied revocation of permission when the victim resisted and convicted Hopkins.
- On appeal, Hopkins argued the state failed to prove the trespass element: her initial entry was lawful and, she contended, the subsequent crimes do not retroactively convert lawful presence into unlawful remaining.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the state proved "unlawfully remained" (trespass) for burglary where defendant entered with permission but later assaulted and stole | Victim impliedly revoked permission when she resisted; from that point Hopkins was unlawfully remaining with intent to commit theft/assault | Commission of the subsequent crimes does not retroactively convert a lawful presence into unlawful remaining (Werner) | Court affirmed: implied revocation occurred when victim struggled; evidence sufficient to find unlawful remaining and intent to commit additional crimes |
Key Cases Cited
- State v. Felt, 108 Or App 730 (1991) (permission can be impliedly revoked by victim’s reaction, supporting unlawful‑remaining finding)
- State v. Werner, 281 Or App 154 (2016) (commission of a crime inside a premises by someone with permission does not by itself make the presence unlawful)
- State v. Angelo, 282 Or App 403 (2016) (burglary elements: unlawfully enter/remain, building, intent to commit crime therein)
- State v. Henderson, 366 Or 1 (2019) (intent to commit the additional crime must exist at some point during the unlawful presence)
