Opinion ID: 1516756
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 17-A M.R.S.A. § 401 establishes four elements to the offense of burglary. [2] The State must prove (1) entry (2) of a structure (3) with the knowledge that entry is not licensed or privileged and (4) with the intent to commit a crime therein. See State v. Thibeault, Me., 402 A.2d 445, 448 (1979). Here, the juvenile claims the State failed to prove the last of the above elements, viz., that the juvenile at the time he entered the structure intended to commit a crime within the structure. See State v. Field, Me., 379 A.2d 393, 395 (1977). The evidence showed that Michael, after obtaining a hammer to gain entry into the school, entered the school, shortly thereafter went to the teachers' lounge where the soda machine was located and participated in the breaking into the soda machine and the theft of money and soda from the machine. This evidence was sufficient to warrant the District Court judge as the factfinder in believing beyond a reasonable doubt that the juvenile had the intent at the time he entered the building to commit the crime of theft therein. State v. Mann, Me., 361 A.2d 897, 906 (1976); see State v. Harding, Me., 392 A.2d 538 (1978).
Michael's admission, properly admitted at trial, that he was involved with the Coke machine disposes of any questions raised by the sufficiency of the evidence argument regarding the conviction for theft.
The petition charging the juvenile with criminal mischief, 17-A M.R.S.A. § 806, alleged that the juvenile did intentionally and knowingly damage the property of SAD # 24 when he tore roofing on the storage room of the Library and threw bricks against the wall, damaging the building. [3] Although evidence at trial indicated the juvenile did in fact climb upon the roof of a library, the State failed to present any evidence whatsoever that would have identified the library as the property of School Administrative District # 24 as alleged in the petition. The State relies upon our decisions in State v. Hamm, Me., 348 A.2d 268, 274 (1975) and State v. Bickford, Me., 308 A.2d 561, 565 (1973) to argue that its failure in this regard is not fatal. In Hamm we noted that 15 M.R.S.A. § 752 permits a conviction for any offense involving real property to stand if the State shows constructive or actual possession of the property by the person in whom the indictment alleged ownership. 348 A.2d at 274. Here, however, the State presented no evidence either of a direct or circumstantial nature which would have permitted the juvenile court to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that ownership or lawful possession of the library building was in School Administrative District # 24 or any other entity. The prosecution's complete failure to thus identify the structure requires us to reverse the adjudication that the juvenile committed the offense of criminal mischief.