Opinion ID: 2064880
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Real firearm in operable condition

Text: The defendant contends, however, that, here, the jury was not warranted under the law applicable to the facts of the case to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt on the ground that the evidence was insufficient to support proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the instrument possessed by Millett on the afternoon of April 5, 1976 was a real firearm capable of firing a projectile within the meaning of 15 M.R.S.A., § 393. See State v. Arsenault, 152 Me. 121, 124 A.2d 741 (1956). The statute under which the defendant was convicted (15 M.R.S.A., § 393) [2] then provided: It shall be unlawful for any person who has been convicted of a felony under the laws of the United States or of the State of Maine, or of any other state, to have in his possession any pistol, revolver or any other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person until the expiration of 5 years from the date of his discharge or release from prison or termination of probation.       Anyone violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished. . . . The charging document in pertinent part reads as follows: THE GRAND JURY CHARGES: COUNT I That on or about the Fifth day of April, 1976, in the City of Portland, County of Cumberland and State of Maine, the above named defendant BRUCE MILLETT did have in his possession a firearm capable of being concealed, to wit: a handgun, the said defendant having been discharged from a Maine State Prison sentence. . . . The defendant contends that 15 M.R.S.A., § 393 does not apply to possession by a felon within the stated period of time of an imitation or toy gun and that from the evidence it is as consistent as otherwise that the so-called pistol about which Osborne testified was not a real firearm. We disagree. We note that the legislation regulating the possession of firearms by a felon did not, prior to the enactment of the code, define the term firearm except as it involved its concealability, the statute (15 M.R.S.A., § 391), providing, as it did, that the following words and phrases when used in this chapter [15] are defined as follows: `Pistol,' `revolver' and `firearm' mean a weapon capable of being concealed upon the person and shall include all firearms having a barrel of less than 12 inches in length. We are aware that the Legislature by Public Laws 1971, chapter 539, section 21, enacted the following definition of a firearm (17 M.R.S.A., § 4001(2)): 2. Firearm. `Firearm' shall include any pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, machinegun, automatic and semiautomatic rifle or other firearm as the term is commonly used, or any gun, device or instrument in the nature of a weapon from which may be fired or projected any solid projectile or slug, pellet, missile or bullet or any gas, vapor or other nocuous thing by means of a cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or explosive substances; or any other instrument that has the appearance of a firearm even though not capable of discharging a projectile. (Emphasis supplied) This definitional provision was enacted as an integral part of the Legislature's comprehensive scheme to enhance the punishment for certain crimes when committed while armed with a firearm. But the introductory clause of section 4001 expressly limits the application of the reference definition of firearm, in that it states [t]he following words, terms and phrases when used in this Title [meaning Title 17] and in Title 34 shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this section, thus lending support to the claim that the old maximexpressio unius est exclusio alteriusis controlling and prevents the applicability of this belated definition to the term firearm as used in Title 15, Section 393. But, in line with what this Court said in City of Portland v. New England Tel. & Tel. Co., 103 Me. 240, 249, 68 A. 1040, 1043 (1907) Whether the expression of one thing is to operate as the exclusion of another, is ordinarily a question of intention, to be gathered from an examination of all parts of a statute by the aid of the usual rules of interpretation, it might be argued that the overall motivation of our Legislators in enacting section 4001 of title 17 in 1971 was to provide a definitional standard for all statutes in pari materia including 15 M.R.S.A., § 393, even though the introductory clause omitted any reference to the latter statute in stating the reach of the amendatory act. Indeed, legislation providing for increased penalties in the case of recidivism on the part of felons (15 M.R.S.A., § 1742) or for mandatory sentences in convictions of crime involving the use of firearms reflects a common purpose on the part of the Legislature to cut down the ever increasing criminal activity of this era. Such legislation was enacted for its deterrent effect upon the criminally inclined person who might otherwise be tempted to continue, or embark upon, a life-style of crime. See State v. Heald, Me., 382 A.2d 290 (1978); State v. Maxwell, Me., 328 A.2d 801 (1974). To what we said in State v. Smith, Me., 379 A.2d 722, 726 (1977) in reference to 15 M.R.S.A. § 393 [t]he legislature could, with understandable reason, proscribe the carrying of any apparent weapon by a convicted felon, to which there might be violent reaction, even though the weapon was in fact inoperable, we might add that ascribing such legislative intendment to the regulatory provisions of firearm-possession by felons would enhance the same purposes as motivated the Legislature in enacting the recidivist and mandatory sentence statutes. On the other hand, we recognize the fundamental principle of statutory construction that penal statutes are to be construed strictly. State v. Heald, supra, at page 294; Duncan v. State, 158 Me. 265, 183 A.2d 209 (1962), cert. den., 371 U.S. 867, 83 S.Ct. 129, 9 L.Ed.2d 104. Also, we have in mind that the rule of strict construction of a penal law is subordinate to this other rule, that the judicial interpretation must be reasonable and sensible, with a view to effectuating the legislative design and the true intent of the Legislature. State v. Seaburg, 154 Me. 210, 145 A.2d 559 (1958). But we must not lose sight of the overall principle that, where the language of a statute in plain and unambiguous, there is no occasion for resorting to the rules of statutory interpretation. Chase v. Edgar, Me., 259 A.2d 30, 32 (1969). In the face of the specific limitation of the introductory clause of the 1971 legislation which omits any reference to 15 M.R. S.A., § 393, can we avoid the rule of strict construction respecting section 393 of title 15? See State v. Granville, Me., 336 A.2d 861, 863 (1975). We are aware that this Court has adopted a more liberal construction respecting statutes dealing with firearms. In State v. Farmer, Me., 324 A.2d 739 (1974), we rejected the argument that the armed assault statute should be construed in such narrow stricture as to require for conviction that the weapon with which the person was armed must be used to assist in the commission of the foundational assault. Again, in State v. Maxwell, Me., 328 A.2d 801 (1974), this Court ruled that a person could be convicted of armed assault and battery within the meaning of the mandatory sentence statute, even if the weapon possessed by the accused at the time was not loaded. Assuming, however, that the introductory clause of the 1971 amendment (17 M.R.S.A., § 4001) is clear and unambiguous and that the comprehensive definition of the term firearm as spelled out therein cannot be used in our interpretation of that word in title 15, section 393, we find that the lexicographers also, in their definition of the word firearm, do not carry the comprehensive concept espoused by the 1971 amendment. In the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (1971) a firearm is [a] weapon from which missiles are propelled by the combustion of gunpowder or other explosive; in The Random House Dictionary of the English Language (unabridged ed. 1967), it is a small arms weapon from which a projectile is fired by gunpowder; in Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1961), it is a weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowderusu. used only of small arms; in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1973), it is [a]ny weapon capable of firing a missile, especially a pistol or rifle using an explosive charge as a propellant; in Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary of the English Language (1938), it is [a]ny weapon from which a missile, as a bullet, ball, or shell, is hurled by an explosion, as gunpowder; and in A Dictionary of American English (1940), it is [a] weapon from which projectiles are discharged by explosives. Hence, if the rule of strict construction of a penal statute is to prevail, we would have to conclude that, in making it unlawful for a convicted felon to have in his possession during the stated 5-year period of time any pistol, revolver or any other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person as provided by 15 M.R.S.A., § 393, the Legislature used the word firearm in its natural and ordinary significationmeaning that the instrument must be a real pistol, revolver or firearm and that it must be operable or readily capable of being made operable as a firearm. [3] Such seems to be the rule of the majority of jurisdictions that faced the problem of construing statutes which prohibited in general terms the use or possession of firearms. See e. g. State v. Lawr, 263 N.W.2d 747 (Iowa 1978), where the barrel of the weapon was plugged and it could not readily be adapted or modified to accomplish the design for which it was made, i. e. to fire a projectile or bullet, the Iowa Court held that the gun was not a firearm within the meaning of the word as used in the statute prohibiting a person from going armed with a pistol, revolver or other firearm. See also State v. Keely, 153 N.J.Super. 18, 378 A.2d 1155 (1977); Howell v. State, 278 Md. 389, 364 A.2d 797 (1976) involving a tear gas gun; Couch v. Commonwealth, 255 S.W.2d 478 (Ky.1953). Cf. People v. Halley, 131 Ill.App.2d 1070, 268 N.E.2d 449 (1971); People v. Jiminez, 27 Mich.App. 633, 183 N.W.2d 853 (1970). At trial, the issue of real gun as opposed to a toy pistol and operability of the weapon, as required proof under the statute to support a conviction, was discussed between counsel and the Court in the absence of the jury in relation to a motion for judgment of acquittal and in preparation for the Justice's instructions to the jury. As a result of these discussions, the Justice below gave the following instructions (the pertinent portions only being reproduced): Firearm shall include any pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, automatic and semi-automatic rifle, or other firearm as the term is commonly used or any gun, device or instrument in the nature of a weapon from which may be fired or projected any solid projectile or slug, pellet, missile or bullet or any gas vapor or other nocuous thing by means of cartridge or shell or by the action of an explosive or the igniting of flammable or explosive substances. That is an all-inclusive kind of definition. It is not necessary that you find that the instrumentality in this particular case meet all of those; as long as it meets one of those aspects of this definition, then you may find that the individual defendant in this case [Bruce Millett] did have such a firearm in his possession, . . . . Basically what I am saying is that it is not a toy gun, it is not a cap gun, because a cap pistol is not capable of being something from which may be fired or projected a solid projectile, slug, pellet, missile or bullet. . . . It must be something that is designed or manufactured to expel a projectile by action of an explosive.       That is an essential element of the crime charged. The State must prove that element as well as other elements beyond a reasonable doubt . . . .       Once again, we are talking about a real gun capable of discharging a projectile of some sort, not talking about a toy gun, not talking about a water gun, not talking about a plastic gun that can't fire a projectile. We are talking about a real gun here. It is for you to determine on all this evidence that has been presented whether or not the State has satisfied its burden of proving to you beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Millett in the afternoon, as charged in Count I, had in his possession,    a pistol, revolver or other firearm as I have defined the term pistol and firearm for you which is capable of being concealed upon the person. From these instructions it is clear that the case was tried and decided by the jury on the theory that, in order to find the defendant guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon as charged against him pursuant to 15 M.R.S.A., § 393, the State had the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the reference weapon was a real gun in operable condition. Thus, we will assume, without deciding the same, that 15 M.R. S.A., § 393 did require such proof. In this case, Jessie Osborne, the State's principal witness, testified that he observed on the person of Bruce Millett at belt level the brown handle and hammer of a handgun sticking out of his clothing. Osborne professed to be experienced with firearms because of his ownership of rifles and pistols in the past and stated he was convinced the object he observed in the defendant's possession was an authentic handgun. Benito Conti who did not fancy himself having such experience with firearms thought the instrument projecting from Millett's belt could have been a 357 magnum pistol. This evidence was sufficient to make a prima facie case for submission to the jury for their determination, whether the weapon in the possession of Millett was a real gun or an imitation one. From the whole evidence the jury was warranted to find beyond a reasonable doubt that on the afternoon of April 5, 1976 Millett actually had in his possession a real gun. It is not essential to the validity of such a finding that the firearm itself be admitted in evidence as an exhibit. State v. Harwick, 220 Kan. 572, 552 P.2d 987, 992 (1976); Todd v. State, 28 Md.App. 127, 343 A.2d 890, 893 (1975) (overruled on other ground); United States v. Liles, 432 F.2d 18 (9th Cir. 1970); Coleman v. United States, 219 A.2d 496 (D.C.App.1966). Once the jury was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the offending object was actually a firearm, it could equally conclude, in the absence of any evidence suggesting inoperability, that the weapon was operable. Mere allegation of inoperability is not sufficient to bar a conviction of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Any real pistol or revolver would continue to qualify as a firearm until some evidence is presented in the case tending to establish the inoperability of the gun involved. The application of the inference of operability cannot be made to depend on the recovery of the weapon or its production in court. State v. Cole, 154 N.J.Super. 138, 381 A.2d 40, 44 (1977). In other words, proof that a convicted felon was in possession of a real firearm during the statutory prohibited period of time constitutes a prima facie violation of the Act and may sustain a conviction. See State v. Lee, 195 Neb. 348, 237 N.W.2d 880 (1976); State v. Cartwright, 246 Or. 120, 418 P.2d 822 (1966); People v. DeFalco, 176 Cal.App. 590, 1 Cal.Rptr. 578 (1960). The defense of inoperability will enter the case as an issue only if and when substantial evidence bearing on that issue is introduced, from whatever source such evidence may come. It is only when evidence is presented which will generate such an issue that the factfinder must determine, whether in light of the evidence of inoperability the State has sustained its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt of the defendant's guilt of possessing a firearm which was operable at the time contrary to the statute. Commonwealth v. Lee, 224 Pa.Super. 17, 302 A.2d 474 (1973); State v. Morgan, 121 N.J.Super. 217, 296 A.2d 539 (1972). Here, the record is bare of any evidence of inoperability. In such posture of the case, the jury was warranted to find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant Millett was in possession of a firearm which was concealable upon his person within the meaning of 15 M.R.S.A., § 393.