History
  • No items yet
midpage
State v. Alexander
609 S.W.2d 958
Mo. Ct. App.
1980
Check Treatment
CRIST, Presiding Judge.

Defendant was convicted on September 12, 1979 of attempted burglary in the first degree. Punishment was assessed at two years. We reverse and remand by reason of instruction error.

Alexander was charged with feloniously breaking and entering a dwelling house at 705 Redwing, Florissant, Missouri, on December 24, 1978, with the intent to steal items of personal property located therein.

In the jury instructions on burglary in the first degree and on attempted burglary in the first degree, it was submitted that defendant attempted entry “with the intent to steal property or to commit some other felony therein.” (Emphasis added.) There was evidence of defendant’s intent to steal, but no evidence of any intent on defendant’s part to commit some other felony therein. Fortified with these instructions, the prosecutor argued “other felonies” in his closing argument. Defendant was acquitted of burglary in the first degree, but convicted on the lesser included offense of attempting the same.

Defendant was not charged with intent to commit some other felony. There was no evidence on which to predicate an instruction that defendant intended to commit some other felony. Therefore, the jury was authorized to find defendant guilty on a submission not alleged in the information and not supported by the evidence. State v. Shepard, 442 S.W.2d 58, 60 (Mo.banc 1969). For this reason, we must reverse and remand.

Judgment reversed and remanded as to attempted burglary in the first degree.

REINHARD and SNYDER, JJ., concur.

Case Details

Case Name: State v. Alexander
Court Name: Missouri Court of Appeals
Date Published: Dec 23, 1980
Citation: 609 S.W.2d 958
Docket Number: No. 42281
Court Abbreviation: Mo. Ct. App.
AI-generated responses must be verified and are not legal advice.
Your Notebook is empty. To add cases, bookmark them from your search, or select Add Cases to extract citations from a PDF or a block of text.