State v. Pipkin
316 P.3d 255
Or.2013Background
- Defendant charged with first-degree burglary under ORS 164.225/164.215 for unlawfully entering or remaining in a dwelling with intent to commit a crime therein.
- Trial court refused defense requests to require the state to elect a theory (enter unlawfully vs remain unlawfully) or to give a Boots-like 10-jury concurrence instruction.
- Indictment and trial evidence allowed findings that defendant unlawfully entered, or unlawfully remained, or both, with accompanying criminal intent.
- Defense sought either election or Boots instruction; trial court denied; jury found defendant guilty.
- Court of Appeals affirmed; issue reduced to whether entering and remaining unlawfully are separate elements and whether Article I, section 11 requires unanimity on them.
- Court analyzes Boots and King lineage to determine legislative intent and constitutional limits regarding multiple means of proving a single element.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether entering and remaining unlawfully are separate elements requiring unanimity. | Pipkin; Boots framework triggers unanimity. | Entering/remain unlawfully are separate elements under Boots. | No; they are interchangeable means proving a single unlawful-presence element. |
| Whether ORS 164.205(3) uses “or” inclusively to allow one or both methods to prove the same element. | Statutory text supports separate elements needing unanimity. | Text favors inclusive interpretation. | Inclusive; entering/remain unlawfully may be proven by either or both. |
| Whether Article I, section 11 requires jury unanimity on underlying facts to prove the single element. | Boots/Boots-like rule requires unanimity on facts essential to prove the element. | Historical context allows non-unanimous general verdict when multiple means exist. | Article I, section 11 does not require unanimity on underlying factual acts for this single element. |
Key Cases Cited
- Boots v. State, 308 Or 374 (1987) (juror unanimity required for separate elements; multiple means may define a single element under statute)
- King v. State, 316 Or 437 (1993) (two alternative means prove a single element; due process considerations)
- State v. Lotches, 331 Or 455 (2000) (multiple occurrences of predicate crimes; unanimity concerns when proving one count)
- State v. Hale, 335 Or 612 (2003) (Boots-related concerns with multiple predicate analyses in single counts)
- State v. Reyes, 209 Or 595 (1957) (whether indictment covers multiple occurrences of a crime)
- State v. White, 341 Or 624 (2006) (legislative history of burglary’s enter/remain unlawfully language)
- State v. Reinke, 354 Or 98 (2013) (interpretation framework for constitutional/textual analysis of amendments)
- Schad v. Arizona, 501 U.S. 624 (1991) (due process concerns about unanimity and alternative means (federal context))
