Court Opinion

ID: 9519606
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 01:20:06.876689+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:44:32.841603
License: Public Domain

Mr. JUSTICE STENGEL, specially concurring: I agree with the result reached by the court in this case. However, I would like to note my discord with the majority’s suggestion that a defendant may be convicted of burglary only if he intended to commit a theft or felony when he entered the building. As I interpret section 19 — 1 of our Criminal Code, a person may commit the offense of burglary in two alternative ways. A person is guilty of burglary if he either (1) enters a building without authority and with intent to commit a theft or felony or (2) remains within a building without authority and with intent to commit a theft or felony. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 38, par. 19 — 1(a).) Under each alternative there must be an unlawful act, entering or remaining without authority, coupled with the requisite mental state, intent to commit a theft or felony. The criminal act and the criminal intent must concur to constitute the crime. In the present case defendant had authority to enter the dairy and he did not intend to commit a theft or felony when he entered. Thus, he clearly cannot be guilty of burglary under alternative (1). Nor can defendant be guilty of burglary under alternative (2). Although defendant formed the requisite intent to steal after entering the dairy, he did not do the required unlawful act. That is, defendant did not “without authority remain within” the dairy. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 38, par. 19 — 1(a).) Defendant had authority to enter the dairy and that authority was never terminated. His presence on the premises was at all times lawful. It is not the fact that defendant’s criminal intent arose subsequent to entry which precludes his conviction of burglary in this case. Rather, it is the fact that defendant had authority to be in the dairy which requires us to reverse the instant burglary conviction. I believe that an intent to commit a theft or felony formed subsequent to a lawful entry may be a proper basis for a burglary conviction if it is proven that the defendant also committed the unlawful act of remaining in the building without authority. For example, if the defendant in this case had secreted himself in the dairy beyond the time it was open to the public with the intent to steal the checks after everyone else was gone he could properly be convicted of burglary. The fact his intent to steal was formed after he had lawfully entered the building would be inconsequential because his presence in the building beyond authorized hours would satisfy the “without authority” element of the burglary statute and there would be a proper combination of unlawful act and criminal intent. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 38, par. 19 — 1(a).) Indeed, I believe this is precisely the situation which the legislature must have contemplated when it enacted the “remains within” provision of section 19 — 1. The majority’s suggestion that a defendant must possess the requisite criminal intent at the time he enters the building would render the “remains within” provision of the burglary statute superfluous. In all cases a burglary conviction would have to be based on the defendant’s unlawful entry of the building with intent to commit a theft or felony. Three cases are cited in the majority opinion in support of the suggestion that a subsequently formed intent will not support a burglary conviction. People v. Myler (1940), 374 Ill. 72, 28 N.E.2d 83, and People v. Kelley (1916), 274 Ill. 556, 113 N.E. 926, are inapposite. Both cases were decided under a burglary statute which did not include the “remains within” provision embodied in section 19 — 1 of our present Code. (See Ill. Rev. Stat. 1939, ch. 38, par. 84.) While it is true that Justice Schaefer in People v. Weaver (1968), 41 Ill. 2d 434, 439, 243 N.E.2d 245, 248 stated, “A criminal intent formulated after a lawful entry will not satisfy the statute,” that statement was dicta only and it must be construed in light of the facts present in that case. Weaver did not involve a situation where the defendant formed a criminal intent after lawfully entering a building and then remained beyond authorized hours. The “remains within” provision of the burglary statute was never discussed by J. Schaefer and it is clear to me that his statement is inapplicable where the defendant forms his criminal intent after a lawful entry and then “without authority remains within the building” for the purpose of carrying out that intent. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1975, ch. 38, par. 19 — 1(a).) I believe the defendant could properly be convicted of burglary in such a case, notwithstanding the fact his criminal intent arose subsequent to a lawful entry. I concur in the partial reversal and remand of this cause.