Opinion ID: 2316663
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: inconsistent convictions

Text: The defendant argues that since he was acquitted of assault with intent to murder and found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon, then the jury did not find an intent to murder. The defendant argues that intent to murder is a necessary element in this case to proving burglary. Therefore, defendant concludes that he cannot be convicted of burglary and acquitted of assault with intent to murder. To be convicted under G.L. 1956 (1981 Reenactment) § 11-8-1 of burglary, the state must prove a defendant `[broke] and [entered] the dwelling house of another in the nighttime with the intent to commit a felony therein, whether the felony be actually committed or not.' State v. O'Rourke, 121 R.I. 434, 436, 399 A.2d 1237, 1238 (1979). Here defendant made an oral bill of particuliars asking which felony the state would be relying upon for a burglary conviction. The state responded with larceny over $500, robbery, or murder. The trial justice ruled that the state had not proven an intent to commit larceny over $500 or an intent to commit robbery. Therefore, the court said the requisite felony for a burglary conviction would be the crime of murder. In charging the jury, the trial justice explained the elements of burglary, count 1 in the indictment, and said that the jury must find that Ranieri intended to murder Elsie when he entered her apartment. In charging the jury on count 2, assault with intent to murder Elsie, the judge said that if this jury found that Ranieri had assaulted Elsie but that he did not do so with an intent to murder her, then it could find Ranieri guilty of the lesser included offense of assault with a dangerous weapon (which is also a felony under G.L. 1956 (1981 Reenactment) § 11-5-2, as amended by P.L. 1981, ch. 76, § 1). The defendant essentially argues that since the jury found him guilty of a lesser included felony (assault with a dangerous weapon) than the felony named in the burglary charge (murder), he cannot be convicted of burglary. We reject such a contention. We find nothing inconsistent with finding defendant guilty of both assault with a dangerous weapon and burglary and acquitting defendant of assault with intent to commit murder. The jury found an entry with the intent to commit a felony, assault with a dangerous weapon, and that is sufficient to convict for burglary in this case. For the foregoing reasons we rule that the out-of-court and in-court identifications by Elsie and Picard were improperly admitted at trial. The admission of these identifications rises to prejudicial error requiring a new trial. In regard to the defendant's other claims of error, we affirm the trial justice. The defendant's appeal is sustained in part and denied and dismissed in part. The judgment of the Superior Court is reversed in part and affirmed in part. The case is remanded with instructions for a new trial on all of defendant's convictions.