Opinion ID: 2443929
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Submissibility of Charge of Carrying a Concealed Weapon

Text: Defendant's second point is that his motion for judgment of acquittal on the charge of carrying a concealed weapon should have been sustained at the close of all the evidence because the State failed to make a sufficient showing (a) that the knife was in fact a dangerous and deadly weapon, and (b) that defendant intended to use the knife as a dangerous and deadly weapon. It was argued in the dissenting opinion in the court of appeals and in defendant's application to transfer that this is a circumstantial evidence case. We do not agree. There was direct evidence that when arrested defendant had the steak knife wholly concealed in his pants pocket. There was direct evidence of defendant's threat to harm prosecutrix. In addition, there was circumstantial evidence as to possible use of that knife under the particular circumstances, including time and place that he possessed said hidden knife. Where the evidence, as here, is partially direct and partially circumstantial, it is not necessary to give a circumstantial evidence instruction and the test as to submissibility is not that of a purely circumstantial evidence case. In deciding submissibility we accept the State's evidence as true and we give the State the benefit of all reasonable inferences deducible therefrom, disregarding all evidence and inferences to the contrary. State v. Stapleton, 518 S.W.2d 292, 296 (Mo. banc 1975). In a prosecution under § 564.610, a submissible case is made when the state's evidence or reasonable inferences therefrom demonstrate (a) the carrying of a dangerous or deadly weapon, (b) concealed on or about the person, (c) along with an intent to so conceal. State v. Achter, 514 S.W.2d 825, 827 (Mo.App.1974). See also State v. Jordan, 495 S.W.2d 717, 720 (Mo.App.1973). These were the issues submitted to the jury in Instruction No. 7 which corresponds to MAI-CR 13.10. Defendant does not dispute the fact that the steak knife was found concealed in his pants pocket and he does not contend that the evidence was insufficient to permit the jury to find that he intended to conceal the knife in his pocket. The only real issue raised concerning the submissibility of the concealed weapon charge is whether there was evidence from which the jury could find that the knife found on defendant was a dangerous and deadly weapon. In providing for punishment for the offense of carrying concealed weapons, § 564.610 enumerates certain weapons which are dangerous and deadly per se and require no jury finding to that effect. State v. Dorsey, 491 S.W.2d 301 (Mo.1973). These weapons include any kind of firearms, a bowie knife, a springback knife, and other things. The statute also makes punishable the concealed carrying of other similar deadly weapons. When the weapon is not one specifically enumerated in the statute, the issue as to whether it is dangerous and deadly must be submitted to the jury unless the court can declare as a matter of law that under the evidence in the case the jury could not have concluded that the weapon was dangerous and deadly. It is obvious that there are many useful and practical items which are carried by persons for peaceful purposes. They are not normally thought of as dangerous and deadly weapons. Pocket knives, hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, cutting tools and letter openers are examples of such articles. Other items such as butcher knives, steak knives, and ice picks, though not usually carried concealed on the person, are useful utensils utilized for peaceful purposes. Such everyday instruments become dangerous or deadly only when they are used or carried for use as a weapon. The determination of whether in a particular case such instrument is dangerous and deadly would depend on a variety of factorsthe nature of the instrument itself, the circumstances under which it is carried, including time, place, and situation in which defendant is found in possession, the manner in which it is carried, the particular person carrying it, and perhaps other factors such as possible peaceful uses therefor which the possessor might have. Several courts have examined these surrounding circumstances in determining whether such instruments are dangerous. For example, in State v. Ebron, 122 N.J.Super. 552, 301 A.2d 167, cert. denied, 63 N.J. 250, 306 A.2d 453 (1973), defendant was convicted under a statute similar to ours of carrying a concealed knife. The court, conceding that all knives are not per se dangerous, concluded that it was proper in that case to submit to the jury the issue of whether the knife was dangerous, saying, 301 A.2d at 169-70: A knife may be used as a tool in certain trades, hobbies or sports. Thus, a cook or chef may carry the tools of his trade, a barber may carry a straight razor, or a hunter, a camper or a Boy Scout may have a legitimate use for a hunting knife. As we interpret the statute it outlaws the carrying of a knife, even if it would otherwise be a useful object, where the surrounding circumstances, such as the time, place and situation under which the defendant was found in possession of it, or any alteration of the knife itself, indicate that his possession is for the purpose of using it, then or later, unlawfully against another. [Citations omitted.] In State v. Green, 62 N.J. 547, 303 A.2d 312 (1973), defendant and a companion were observed in the act of shoplifting and then leaving the store. The defendant and his companion were apprehended and a search revealed that each had a pocketknife in his possession. Defendant's knife had a single folding blade which was approximately three and one-half inches long and would not lock when open. Although defendant's conviction was reversed for instructional error, the court held that the evidence would have sustained defendant's conviction for possession of a dangerous knife even though the knife was not declared by statute to be a dangerous and deadly weapon per se. The court said, 303 A.2d at 319: Plainly the possession of any knife is not an incriminatory offense and a knife, popularly known as a pocketknife, penknife or jackknife, commonly carried for personal utility, convenience or other lawful purpose is not a `dangerous knife' per se. That is not to say, however, that such a knife, irrespective of the length of its blade or the circumstances under which it is carried, may not be a lethal weapon and should be excluded as a matter of law from the term `dangerous knife' the possession of which is interdicted by statute. Distilled from the rationale of our relevant statutes and the prevailing decisional law is a reasonable conclusion that a knife which is not dangerous per se will be a `dangerous knife' if the purpose of possession is its use as a weapon. In Scott v. United States, 243 A.2d 54 (D.C.Ct.App.1968), defendant was stopped for questioning in the lobby of a movie theater. He had a thin folding knife up the sleeve of his coat. In upholding the conviction of defendant for carrying a concealed weapon, the court recognized that the knife was not deadly and dangerous per se since it could be used as a tool in certain trades or hobbies, but it went on to observe, 243 A.2d at 56: The statute, as we interpret it, outlaws the carrying of an otherwise useful object where the surrounding circumstances, such as the time and place the defendant was found in possession of such an instrument, or the alteration of the object, indicate that the possessor would use the instrument for a dangerous purpose. In Gilmore v. United States, 271 A.2d 783 (D.C.Ct.App.1970), defendant had in his possession a concealed peg knife when he was apprehended in a bus terminal at 3 a. m. The court held that notwithstanding defendant's explanation that he used the knife in his work as a cement bag handler, the surrounding circumstances shown in evidence were sufficient to enable the jury to have inferred and found that defendant, if necessary, intended to use the knife for a dangerous purpose. In so holding, the court stated at 784: We said recently: Section 22-3204 does not prohibit the carrying of such instruments [knives] for a legitimate purpose. The statute, as we interpret it, outlaws the carrying of an otherwise useful object where the surrounding circumstances, such as the time and place the defendant was found in possession of such an instrument, or the alteration of the object, indicate that the possessor would use the instrument for a dangerous purpose. In Clarke v. United States, 256 A.2d 782 (D.C.Ct.App.1969), defendant was convicted of carrying a dangerous and deadly weapon after he was found to have been carrying a straight razor concealed on his person. He was apprehended by an officer after a report from a man that defendant might have robbed a girl. When the officer walked toward defendant, he began to run. In upholding his conviction, the court said at 786: The test is `[whether] the purpose of carrying the object, under the circumstances, is its use as a weapon.' [Citation omitted.] This may be shown by an examination of the time and place the defendant was found carrying it, among other circumstances. [Citation omitted.] Moreover, in the absence of any explanation from defendant, the conceivable legitimate reasons for carrying such an instrument in that setting are a proper subject of inquiry. [Citation omitted.] The jury could well have concluded that appellant was not carrying the razor on the street for use `as a tool in [a] certain [trade] or [hobby] or    for utilitarian reasons.' [Citation omitted.] Applying the test articulated in these cases, we conclude that in view of all the circumstances shown in evidence, including the nature of the knife, where it was found on defendant's person, the time and place that defendant was carrying the concealed steak knife and what had occurred a short time earlier involving defendant and prosecutrix, the jury was justified in finding that the steak knife was a dangerous and deadly weapon. To review briefly, at about 10:00 p. m. while walking prosecutrix home, defendant had forcibly raped her. At the time he warned her that if she did not consent he was going to hurt her. He did not display a weapon but at the time of the threat he had one hand on her shoulder and one hand in his jacket pocket where he kept it until he had her on the ground. After the rape he returned immediately to the Interracial Bar from which he had departed with prosecutrix. He remained there until apprehended approximately one hour later near the entrance. When arrested, he had in his pants pocket a six inch steak knife with serrated blade. No witness had seen the knife until it was removed from defendant's pants pocket. Based on the foregoing evidence, the jury could have concluded that defendant had the steak knife in his pocket at the time he threatened prosecutrix and then raped her or it could have concluded that he acquired the steak knife after he returned to the Interracial Bar. Either conclusion, considering all the facts and circumstances shown in evidence, would have justified the jury in finding that the knife in defendant's pocket on this occasion was a dangerous and deadly weapon. If it was in defendant's pocket at the scene of the rape, the jury could have found that defendant could and would have used the knife to hurt Mrs. Brodie, as he threatened, if he did not succeed in having intercourse with her. On the other hand, if the jury concluded he did not have the knife then but obtained it after he returned to the bar, if would be justified in finding that he acquired it and placed it in his pocket for the purpose of using it as a weapon, if necessary, either to resist arrest for the rape or to protect himself from possible reprisals by Mrs. Brodie's family or friends. According to Mrs. Brodie, her cousin, who was at her apartment when she came in after being raped, had gone to the bar to seek out and confront defendant. The time, the place, the circumstances, the rape which was committed, and the nature of the knife, all were such that they could indicate to the jury that the knife was not being carried as an innocent tool of defendant's trade or something he customarily carried in his pocket for peaceful purposes. Rather, they were such as to indicate that defendant carried it and would use it as a dangerous weapon. The jury was justified in so finding. On review, we cannot say as a matter of law that the jury could not have so found therefrom. Accordingly, we rule this point against defendant.