Opinion ID: 2037670
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Burglary Statutes.

Text: The underlying offense for which Petrilli was convicted of being an accessory was burglary under section 459 of the California Penal Code. Petrilli again argues we must ignore the language contained in the information and look only at the statutory language. Petrilli argues it is possible what was felony burglary in California in 1979/1980 may have been only a misdemeanor under South Dakota's unlawful entry statute which provided: Any person who, under circumstances not amounting to burglary, enters a structure with intent to commit any crime is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. SDCL 22-32-16 (repealed by 1984 S.D.Laws, ch. 170, § 1). Petrilli then claims it is possible an entry punishable as a felony in California could be a misdemeanor in South Dakota. He carries this argument a step further by pointing out, under South Dakota law, there is no such thing as an accomplice to a misdemeanor. Again, to accept Petrilli's argument, one would have to ignore the California indictments setting out the crimes with which Petrilli was actually charged and Petrilli's admission in the South Dakota sentencing hearing that he had pled guilty to being an accessory to a strong armed robbery. Looking at the burglary charge alone, entering a residence with intent to commit theft constitutes either the felony of first, second or third degree burglary under SDCL 22-32-1, -3, or -8 (1988), all of which were in effect in 1979-80. [3] Thus, the California felony would also have been a felony under SDCL 22-3-5.