Court Opinion

ID: 9847049
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:52:48.017271+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:59.508530
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE BURNETT
(dissenting):
I respectfully dissent. In my opinion, grand larceny is a lesser included offense of armed robbery and, therefore, the trial judge had subject matter jurisdiction to convict respondents of grand larceny.
*573The circuit court has subject matter jurisdiction to convict a defendant of an offense if 1) there is an indictment which sufficiently states the offense, 2) the defendant waives presentment, or 3) the offense is a lesser included offense of the crime charged in the indictment. State v. Primus, 349 S.C. 576, 564 S.E.2d 103 (2002). The test for determining whether when an offense is a lesser included offense of another is whether the greater of the two offenses includes all the elements of the lesser offense. Id. If the lesser offense includes an element which is not included in the greater offense, then the lesser offense is not included in the greater offense. Id.
Robbery is the felonious taking and carrying away of the goods of another against the will or without consent of the other with force. State v. Scipio, 283 S.C. 124, 322 S.E.2d 15 (1984). Armed robbery occurs when a person commits robbery while armed with a deadly weapon. Id. Robbery is a lesser included offense of armed robbery. Id.
Larceny is the felonious taking and carrying away of the goods of another against the will or without the consent of the other. State v. Brown, 274 S.C. 48, 260 S.E.2d 719 (1979); State v. Sweat, 221 S.C. 270, 70 S.E.2d 234 (1952). See W. McAninch & W. Fairey, The Criminal Law of South Carolina 246 (1995) (“South Carolina continues to use the standard common law definition of larceny ... ”).
Relying on prior opinions which state value is an element of grand larceny,1 the majority concludes grand larceny is not a lesser included offense of robbery because value is not an element of robbery. None of the cited cases, however, compared the elements of robbery with grand larceny.2
Instead, the Court has already determined that grand larceny is a lesser included offense of robbery. In Young v. State, *574259 S.C. 383, 386, 192 S.E.2d 212, 214 (1972), the Court noted robbery is “basically larceny compounded or aggravated by force used in the taking of property from the person or in the presence of another” and that “larceny is included in the charge of robbery.” Accordingly, “... a verdict finding [the defendant] guilty of robbery, of necessity, carrie[s] with it a finding that he was guilty of larceny.” Id. In State v. Lawson, 279 S.C. 266, 305 S.E.2d 249 (1983), the Court specifically held grand larceny is a lesser included offense of robbery. See State v. Brown, supra (larceny is lesser included offense of robbery); State v. Austin, 299 S.C. 456, 385 S.E.2d 830 (1989) (petit larceny is lesser included offense of robbery).
It is my opinion the terms “grand” and “petit” are not elements of either grand or petit larceny, but rather distinguish the two sub-categories of the crime of larceny for sentencing purposes. While the determination of whether a particular larceny is “grand” or “petit” is a matter for the trier of fact, “grand” or “petit” larceny do not constitute unique substantive crimes but rather sub-categories of the crime of larceny. See W. McAninch and W. Fairey, The Criminal Law of South Carolina, supra (“The basic South Carolina larceny statute does very little to define the offense; the statute is primarily concerned with providing penalties for the different categories of the offense, depending on the value of the property taken.”).
The majority’s conclusion will permit the trial court to convict and punish a defendant for both robbery and larceny arising out of the same act without violating double jeopardy. This holding contravenes the precedent of State v. Austin, 299 S.C. 456, 385 S.E.2d 830 (1989), State v. Harkness, 288 S.C. 136, 341 S.E.2d 631 (1986), and State v. Lawson, supra. Moreover, it defies common sense because larceny is subsumed in the offense of robbery; larceny is robbery accomplished without force. See State v. Brown, supra.
Because it is my opinion grand larceny is a lesser included offense of armed robbery, I would reverse the Court of Appeals’ decision and reinstate respondents’ grand larceny convictions.

. See Johnson v. State, 319 S.C. 62, 459 S.E.2d 840 (1995), State v. Ates, 297 S.C. 316, 377 S.E.2d 98 (1989), State v. Moultrie, 283 S.C. 352, 322 S.E.2d 663 (1984), State v. Humphery, 276 S.C. 42, 274 S.E.2d 918 (1981), State v. Smith, 274 S.C. 622, 266 S.E.2d 422 (1980), State v. Bethea, 126 S.C. 497, 120 S.E. 239 (1923).

. Moreover, commentators recognize value is not an element of the crime of larceny. W. McAninch & W. Fairey, The Criminal Law of South Carolina, supra.