Hanngh Dawn Paugh (Paugh) presents this Court with a definitional question concerning the burglary statute. Her assertion is that a locked three-foot fishing reel display case in a department store is not a "separate ly secured or occupied portion" of a "building" within the meaning of Wyoming's burglary statute, Wyo. Stat, Ann. § 6-3-8301 (Lexis 1999). 1 Paugh contends that the display case does not satisfy the statutory definition because it is not a "portion" of a "building," and her conviction of attempted burglary should be reversed. Other jurisdictions, which have addressed the "separately secured or occupied portion" language, have held that a display case оf this nature does not fall within the burglary statute, and their view is supported by commentators and reason. We adopt the rationale of those authorities, based on the common law and statutory development of the crime of burglary, and we hold that to qualify as "separately secured or occupied," a room or container must be large enough to be occupied by a human being. It was impossible for the fishing reel display case to be the object of an attempted burglary by Paugh, and we reverse her conviction.
This statement of the issues is found in the Brief of Appellant, filed for Paugh:
Is a display case sitting on а counter, not attached to the building in any way, a portion of the building for the purposes of Wyoming's burglary statute?
a) Was the evidence that the State presented at trial insufficient, as a matter of law, to show Appellant aided and abetted an attempted burglary, because the State failed to show a burglary was attempted?
b) Did the district court improperly instruct the jury on the meaning of a "separately secured portion" of a building within the meaning of Wyoming's burglary statute?
This Statement of the Issue is found in the Brief of Appellee, filed on behalf of the State:
Does a locked storage and display case lose its character as a "separately secured portion of a building," for purposes of Wyoming's burglary statute, by virtue of its not being fastened to the building?
In February of 1998, Paugh and three other individuals went to the K-Mart store in Gillette. One of them, Kenneth Watson, intended to steal some fishing reels, but he needed assistance to help him avoid detection. Paugh agreed to be Watson's lookout. The fishing reels, with a retail price of $144.00 each, were in a locked, freestanding case, about three feet long, which sat on a counter in the sporting goods section of the store. Watson went to the hardware section of the store; took a pair of pliers from a package; and then returned to the sporting goods section intending to "pop the lock off"
After releasing Watson, a security guard examined the lock on the fishing reel case. The lock was mangled and bent, and the guard called the sheriff's department. In the parking lot, a store security guard identified Watson, and the sheriff's office asked Watson to come back into the store where, after further interrogation, he was arrested. The investigating officer later located Paugh in Mooreroft with the other two individuals who were involved in the scheme. Paugh confessed to her role in the attempted theft, and she was charged with aiding and abetting in the commission of attempted burglary, by acting as a lоokout, in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann § 6-3-301(a) and (b) and Wyo. Stat. Ann § 6-1-201(Lexis 1999). 2
Following a two-day trial in August of 1998, Paugh's attorney filed a Motion for Judgment of Acquittal. Her attorney also challenged a jury instruction on the ground that unless affixed to the building, the display case could not be deemed a "separately secured" portion of a building and could not be the object of an attempted burglary. The challenged jury instruction stated:
An enclosure within a building which is open to the public is a "separately secured portion" of the building within the meaning of the burglary statute if, from all of the attendant facts and circumstances, a reasonable person would сonclude that the building owner or occupant sought to restrict the public's access to items within it.
The jury returned its verdict finding Paugh "guilty" on August 18, 1998. The district court imposed a split sentence under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-18-107 (Lexis 1999), pursuant to which Paugh was to serve ninety days in the Campbell County Detention Center and then be subject to supervised probation for sixty months. The district court stayed Paugh's ninety-day incarceration pending the outcome of this appeal, but ordered the execution of the supervised probation period. Paugh timely appealed her conviction.
We have defined the obligation of a district court with respect to jury instructions in a criminal case in this way:
The duty of the trial court is to present in the instructions to the jury the law applicable to the issues actually raised by the evidence. Hatheway v. State,623 P.2d 741 , 748 (Wyo.1981). It is well settled that a trial court is given wide latitude in instructing the jury; and as long as the instructions correctly state the law and the entire charge to the jury adequately covers the issues, reversible error will not be found. Scadden v. State,732 P.2d 1036 , 1053 (Wyo.1987). The instructions are to be viewed in their entirety and read together to determine if this obligation is met. Ostrowski v. State,665 P.2d 471 , 487 (Wyo.1983).
Baier v. State,
The accuracy of an instruction to the jury is purely a question of law which we review de novo. If the instruction fails to
Paugh argues that the word "portion" in the phrase "separately secured or occupied portion thereof" refers to a part of the whole. She contends this language requires that the enclosure referred to in the challenged jury instruction must be attached to the building or occupied structure, in essence a fixture. Because the display case was moveable and not attached to the building in any way, she insists the display case was not a "portion" of the building. In response, the State asserts that the language should be broadly interpreted. The State argues for rejection of the "fixture rule," asserted by Paugh, and urges instead a broad, functional approach under which the burglary statute would encompass a range of enclosures. See Smith v. State,
At common law, burglary had as its essential purpose the protection of the habitation of an individual. In a remarkable article, Professor Lauer has traced the history of the common law offense of burglary through the several legislative enactments in Wyoming. Theodore E. Lauer, Burglary in Wyoming, 32 Land & Water L.Rev. 721 (1997). In England, the essence of the offense was an invasion of the dwelling, both at common law and in subsequent legislative enactments. Id. at 728-830. This same concept was imported to America with later statutes expanding the protection from dwelling house to othеr kinds of structures, including business buildings. Id. at 780-82. In 1962, the Model Penal Code was promulgated by the American Law Institute as a summarization of prevailing notions regarding criminal offenses. Lauer, swpro, 32 Land & Water L.Rev. at 782. Article 221 of the Model Penal Code addresses the crime of burglary, and it is defined in Section 221.1(1):
"A person is guilty of burglary if he enters a building or occupied structure, or separately secured or occupied portion thereof, with purpose to commit a crime therein, unless the premises are at the time open to the public or the actor is licensed or privileged to enter. It is an affirmative defense to prosecution for burglary that the building or structure was abandoned."
Lauer, supra, 32 Land & Water L.Rev. at 782.
A parallel statement of the propositions is found in C.S. Parnell, Annotation, Burglary: Outbuildings or the Like as Part of "Duwelling House,"
It is evident that the offense of burglary at common law was considered one aimed at the security of the habitation rather than against property. That is to say, it was the circumstance of midnight terror aimed toward a man or his family who were in rightful repose in the sanctuary of the home, that was punished, and not the fact that the intended felony was successful. Such attempted immunity extended to a man's dwelling or mansion house has been said to be attributable to the early common-law principle that a man's home is his castle. The jealousy with which the law guarded against any infringement of this ancient right of peaceful habitation is best illustrated by the severe penalties which at common law were assessed against a person convicted of burglary, even though the enterprise, except for the essential elements of breaking and entering a mansion house or dwelling house at night with intent to commit a felony therein, was unsuccessful.
(Footnotes omitted.) Rollin M. Perkins and Ronald N. Boyce, Criminal Law 255-56 (3d ed.1982) states:
That every man's house is "his castle" is a concept that has been echoed down through the ages and the social interest in the security of the "castle" has its origin inantiquity; for just as an animal or a bird resents any intrusion into its place of abode, so no doubt did primitive man. The terms commonly used to indicate the place are "dwelling" or "dwelling house," but the "word 'dwelling' imports a human habitation," and as a matter of common law, burglary is strictly an offense against the habitation.
(Footnotes omitted.) See Kanaras v. State,
Beginning in territorial days, Wyoming recognized not only the importance of protecting people in their homes, but in their businesses as well. The earliest reported Wyoming burglary case, Territory of Wyoming v. Conley,
In Wyoming, as in many states, the development of case law addressed the meaning of the term "building." Seventy years later, this Court again considered the "building" portion of the burglary statute.
5
In State v. Crouse,
By 1957, the burglary statute, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-129 (1957), had been amended to read:
(A) Whoever, intentionally enters, or attempts to enter, any of the following places without the consent of the person in lawful possession and with intent to steal or commit a felony therein may be imprisoned not more than fourteen (14) years:
(1) Any building or dwelling; or (2) An enclosed railroad car; or
(3) An enclosed portion of any automobile, vehicle, or aircraft; or
(4) A locked enclosed cargo portion of a truck or trailer; or
(5) A room within any of the above.
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(C) For the purpose of this section, entry into a place during thе time when it is open to the general public is with consent.
In 1978, the law was amended to include a locked or sealed building:
Whoever, at any time, unlawfully breaks and enters, or attempts to unlawfully break and enter, into any locked or sealed dwelling house, office, storehouse, warehouse, church, meeting house, or building used for the purpose of religious worship, car factory, tool house, freight house, station house, depot, railroad car, cave or cavern, courthouse or other public building, or other building whatsoever, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be imprisoned in the county jail not more than one year or [fined] a fine of not more than $500 or both.
Wyо. Stat. Ann. § 6-180 (Michie Cum.Supp. 1975). The following year, this Court struck as unconstitutional Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-180 for vagueness because it failed to distinguish between essentially innocent conduct, breaking and entry for legal excuse, and eriminally culpable conduct, criminal breaking and entry. State v. Stern,
In amending the burglary statute by the enactment of the Wyoming Criminal Code of 1982, the legislature enacted the "separately secured or occupied portion" language. Effective July 1, 1983, the statute provided:
6-3-301. Burglary.
(a) A person is guilty of burglary if, without authority, he enters or surreptitiously remains in a building, occupied structure or motorized vehicle, or separately securеd or occupied portion thereof, with intent to commit larceny or a felony therein.
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(c) A person may not be convicted both for burglary and for the offense which it was his purpose to commit after the entry or for an attempt to commit that offense, unless the additional offense is a violent felony.
Wyo. Sess. Laws ch. 75, § 8 (1982). Prior to its effective date, the legislature further amended Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-8-301(a), so that it read:
(a) A person is guilty of burglary if, without authority, he enters or remains in a building, occupied structure or vehicle, or separately secured or occupied portion thereof, with intent to commit larceny or felоny therein.
Wyo. Sess. Laws ch. 171, § 8 (1983). The parallel nature of some phrases with the Model Penal Code is obvious.
In 1985, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-3-8301 was amended to read as it currently does. We decided Smith,
The Wyоming legislature has not defined the term "separately secured or occupied portion thereof," and we look to other sources to consider what this phrase means. Our statute adopted this language from the Model Penal Code § 221.1(1). The Model Penal Code defines "occupied structure" as "any structure, vehicle or place adapted for overnight accommodation of persons, or for carrying on business therein, whether or not a person is actually present." Model Penal Code § 221.0 at 60. The comments to the Model Penal Code § 221.1 explain that the
Although Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-8-801 also does not define "occupied structure," it is defined elsewhere in the statutes to mean a structure or vehicle whether or not a person is actually present: '
(A) Where any person lives or carries on business or other calling;
(B) Where people assemble for purposes of business, government, education, religion, entertainment or public transportation;
(C) Which is used for overnight accommodation of persons; or
(D) In which a person may reasonably be expected to be present.
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-1-10M4(a)(v) (Michie 1997). In our view, there is very little reason to believe that the phrase "separately secured" would be intended to describe any different portion than the phrase "separately * * * occupied * * *."
This common law concern for protecting places occupied by people has also been recognized by several states. We consider, for example, the treatment of this issue in Washington, Iowa, Montana, and New Mexico. In State v. Deitchler,
By statute, Iowa specifically addresses the storage and safekeeping of anything of value. Iowa Code Ann. § 702.12 (West 1998) includes within the phrase in the burglary statute "occupied structure" overnight accommodation, storage or safekeeping for anything of value, whether or not a person is actually present. This section continues:
However, for purposеs of Chapter 718, a box, chest, safe, changer, or other object or device which is adapted or used for the deposit or storage of anything of value but which is too small or not designed to allow a person to physically enter or occupy it is not an "occupied structure."
Towa Code Ann. § 70212. In State v. Williams,
Under the Montana burglary statute, "(al person commits the offense of burglary if he knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in an occupied structure with the purpose to commit an offense therein." Mont.Code Ann. § 45-6-204(1) (1999). Previous statutes established that to constitute burglary, an act must have been directed against an occupied structure. The new code is not as technically restrictive, but it does require the structure entered to be occupied, suited for human occupancy or night lodging of persons or for carrying on business. This in effect limits the burglary statute's application to those situations where human life is at the greatest risk. Recently, the Montana Supreme Court affirmed a conviction because a prison's maximum-security cellblock satisfied the definition of "occupied structure" under the Montana statute. State v. Gollehon,
New Mexico has extensively addressed burglary, specifically defining the term "structure."
7
In State v. Sanches,
Two years later, the New Mexico Court of Appeals held a soft drink vending machine did not satisfy the definition of a structure in the burglary statute. State v. Bybee,
In State v. Gregory, 117 NM. 104,
Based on the similar language and intent оf the four states discussed above, we conclude that the "separately secured" language is considered in conjunction with the "occupied portion," and to be susceptible to burglary the "separately secured" portion must be large enough to be occupied by a human being. This is consistent with the original purpose of the common law to protect people.
We are urged by Paugh to adopt the "fixture rule" espoused by Professor Lauer in his article. Lauer, supra, 32 Land & Water L.Rev. at 758, We are satisfied that the adoption of the fixture rule would afford disparate treatment to similar contаiners depending upon the fortuity of attachment to the structure. This would result in disparate treatment of individuals who were involved in essentially the same misconduct. This we are loath to do.
Based on the common law origins of the burglary statute, both in Wyoming and other jurisdictions, we hold the burglary statute was designed primarily to protect not only those places where people sleep, but also those places that a person could occupy. If the purpose of the burglary statute was to protect people within dwellings or places of business, then the area in which the crime can be committed must be lаrge enough to admit a human being. It is clear that the display case, even though secured with a lock, was not large enough to accommodate a human being. We will not extend the burglary statute to include those situations in which a person enters a building open to the public and then enters a container that is too small to accommodate a human being. We hold the display case is not a "separately
Notes
. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-3-301 provides, in pertinent part:
(a) A person is guilty of burglary if, without authority, he enters or remains in a building, occupied structure or vehicle, or separаtely secured or occupied portion thereof, with intent to commit larceny or a felony therein.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, burglary is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), or both.
. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-1-201 provides:
(a) A person who knowingly aids or abets in the commission of a felony, or who counsels, encourages, hires, commands or procures a felony to be committed, is an accessory before the fact.
(b) An accessory before the fact:
(i) May be indicted, informed against, tried and convicted as if he were a principal;
(ii) May be indicted, informed against, tried and conviсted either before or after and whether or not the principal offender is indicted, informed against, tried or convicted; and
(iii) Upon conviction, is subject to the same punishment and penalties as are prescribed by law for the punishment of the principal.
. Several states have recognized the increased seriousness of burglary when it is a dwelling of habitation versus a building or a business. This is based on the concept that the more serious burglary charge is intended to protect people while in places where they are likely to be living and sleeping overnight as opposed to protecting proрerty in buildings such as stores, businesses offices or garages. See State v. Cox,
. Section 38 at 254 of the Criminal Laws of Wyoming (1876) defined burglary:
Every person who shall willfully and maliciously and forcibly break and enter, or willfully and maliciously without force (the door or any window being open), enter into any dwell» ing house, kitchen, office, shoр, storehouse, warehouse, malt house, stilling house, banking house, hotel, saloon, mill, pottery, factory, water craft, church or meeting house, railroad car, or any other close enclosure * * * shall be deemed guilty of burglary * * *.
. At that time, Wyo. Comp. St. § 9-309 (1945) read:
Whoever, at any time, breaks and enters, or attempts to break and enter, into any dwelling house, automobile or other motor vehicle, kitchen, smokehouse, outhouse, shop, office, storehouse, warehouse, mill, distillery, brewery, pottery, factory, barn, stable, schoolhouse, church, meeting-house, or building used for the purpose of religious worship, car-factory, tool house, freight housе, station house, depot, railroad car, sheep wagon, tent, court house, or other public building, or other buildings whatsoever, with intent to commit a felony, or with intent to steal property of any value, is guilty of burglary.
. " [If, with intent to commit a crime against a person or property therein, [one] enters or remains unlawfully in a building other than a vehicle {or a dwelling,]'" "'[al person is guilty of burglary in the second degree'" under Wash. Rev.Code § 9A.52.030(1) (West 1998). Deitchler,
. The New Mexico burglary statute provides:
Burglary consists of the unauthorized entry of any vehicle, watercraft, aircraft, dwelling or other structure, movable or immovable, with the intent to commit any felony or theft therein.
A. Any person who, without authorization, enters a dwelling house with intent to commit any felony or theft therein is guilty of a third degree felony.
B. Any person who, without authorization, enters any vehicle, watercraft, aircraft or other structure, movable or immovable, with intent to commit any felony or theft therein is guilty of a fourth degree felony.
NM. Stat. Ann. § 30-16-3 (Michie 1994)
