Court Opinion

ID: 9858067
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 16:13:56.571033+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:02:10.307845
License: Public Domain

MOORE, Chief Justice
(dissenting).
I concur in the first three divisions of the majority opinion and the result but disagree with and dissent from the holding in division IV.
Our earlier cases created a need for definite holdings clarifying the rule to be followed by the bench and bar in determining what should be submitted to the jury as an included offense. Our recent holdings clearly establish the applicable rules.
In State v. Smith, Iowa, 223 N.W.2d 223, 225, we state:
“With regard to that statutory enactment (section 785.6) two steps are involved in determining whether one offense is necessarily included within another. The first focuses upon the legal or element test, and the second requires an ad hoc factual determination. As to the former, a lesser offense must be composed of some but not all elements of the greater crime yet cannot require an element not needed to constitute the greater offense. See State v. Grady, 215 N.W.2d 213, 214 (Iowa 1974); Everett v. Brewer, 215 N.W.2d 244, 246 (Iowa 1974); State v. Hawkins, 203 N.W.2d 555, 557 (Iowa 1973).”
And in State v. Stewart, Iowa, 223 N.W.2d 250, filed simultaneously in November 1974 with State v. Smith, supra, at pages 251, 252, we say:
“In a number of recent cases we have dealt with lesser included offenses. State v. Hawkins, 203 N.W.2d 555 (Iowa 1973); State v. Habhab, 209 N.W.2d 73 (Iowa 1973); Everett v. Brewer, 215 N.W.2d 244 (Iowa 1974). There are two steps in determining whether one offense is included within another. The first is a consideration of the elements. The lesser offense must be composed solely of some but not all elements of the greater crime. The lesser crime must not require any additional element which is not needed to constitute the greater crime. ⅜ * (Emphasis added).
In State v. Habhab, supra, Iowa, 209 N.W.2d 73, 75, we say:
“ * * *. Under State v. Hawkins it is quite possible to commit one crime in the act of committing another and yet not have it an included offense. It is not included if its elements are not entirely included as a part of the elements of the major offense.” (Emphasis added).
The holding in division IV does violence to the above now well established principles: first by making breaking and entering as defined in Code section 708.8 a degree of burglary as defined in section 708.1; secondly by ignoring the undisputed fact that section 708.1 does not include the element “in the daytime”; and thirdly by removing the clearly stated element of “in the daytime” from section 708.8.
All crimes in Iowa are statutory. The provisions of our statutes are therefore controlling. The following are pertinent here:
“708.1 Definition — punishment. If any person break and enter any dwelling house in the nighttime, with intent to commit any public offense; or, after having entered with such intent, break any such dwelling house in the nighttime, he shall be guilty of burglary, and shall be punished according to the aggravation of the offense, as is provided in sections 708.2 and 708.3.” (Emphasis added).
“708.2 Aggravated offense. If such offender, at the time of committing such burglary, is armed with a dangerous weapon, or so arm himself after having entered such dwelling house, or actually assault any person being lawfully therein, or has any confederate present aiding and abetting in such burglary, he shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary for life or any term of years.”
“708.3 Burglary without aggravation. If such offender commit such burglary otherwise than is mentioned in section 708.2, he shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not exceeding twenty years.”
“708.4 Burglary by means of explosives. Any person who, with intent to *735commit crime, breaks and enters, either by day or by night, any building, whether inhabited or not, and opens or attempts to open any vault, safe, or other secure place by use of nitroglycerin, dynamite, giant powder, gunpowder, or any other explosive material, shall be deemed guilty of burglary with explosives.” (Emphasis added).
“708.5 Burglary by means of electricity. Any person who, with intent to commit crime, breaks and enters, either by day or night, any building, whether inhabited or not, and opens or attempts to open any vault, safe, or other secure place by the use of electricity as a motive or burning or melting power or agency, or in any form, or by any electrical means whatsoever, or by the use of acetylene gas, or by oxyacetylene gas, or by any gas in any form whatsoever, shall be deemed guilty of burglary with electricity or gas, as the case may be.” (Emphasis added).
“708.6 Punishment. Any person duly convicted of burglary under the terms of sections 708.4 and 708.5 shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not more than forty years.”
“708.7 Possession of burglar’s tools— evidence. If any person be found having in his possession at any time any burglar’s tools or implements, with intent to commit the crime of burglary, he shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not more than fifteen years, or be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars. The court before whom such conviction is had shall order the retention by the sheriff of such tools or implements, to be used in evidence in any court in which such person is tried for the offense herein defined, or that of burglary, and the possession of such tools or implements shall be presumptive evidence of his intent to commit burglary.” (Emphasis added).
“708.8 Other breakings and enterings. If any person, with intent to commit any public offense, in the daytime break and enter, or in the nighttime enter without breaking, any dwelling house; or at any time break and enter any office, shop, store, warehouse, railroad car, boat, or vessel, or any building in which any goods, merchandise, or valuable things are kept for use, sale, or deposit, he shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not more than ten years, or be fined not exceeding one hundred dollars and imprisoned in the county jail not more than one year.” (Emphasis added).
I. The degrees of burglary are clearly defined by legislative enactment as “aggravated offense”, section 708.2 and “burglary without aggravation”, section 708.3. State v. Frahm, 73 Iowa 355, 35 N.W. 451 (1887) and State v. Jordan, 87 Iowa 86, 54 N.W. 63 (1893) read out these provisions and decide “Breaking and entering in the daytime” is a degree of the offense charged. Each recognize “in the daytime” is an element of breaking and entering a dwelling.
Both Frahm and Jordan are in conflict with the definite legal principles established in State v. Smith, supra, State v. Stewart, supra, and State v. Habhab, supra. They should be specifically overruled.
II. Somehow the majority, for the first time since the statute first appeared in the 1851 Code, finds and holds the clear and unambiguous words “in the daytime” used in the first part of section 708.8, do not establish an element of “other breakings and enterings” but are only descriptive. Are the words “in the nighttime” and “at any time” as used in other parts of the same section only descriptive?
As pointed out supra by use of emphasis, the legislature in the several parts of chapter 708 has specifically made time a part of each defined offense. If the legislature intended “in the daytime” to have no significance they would have used “either by day or night” or “at any time” as was done where so desired. Judicial removal of “in the daytime” as an element of the first offense defined in section 708.8 unduly enlarges the offense and creates an offense covering the same crime defined in section 708.1. Obviously this is contrary to the clear legislative intent. Otherwise why is *736the statutory penalty for nighttime breaking and entering into a dwelling house made greater than that for daytime breaking and entering a dwelling house?
Iowa Bar Uniform Instruction No. 505.5 includes “in the daytime” as an element of the offense here being considered. It, like other uniform instructions, was prepared and approved by a committee of experienced and capable members of the bar and the district court bench. While not controlling, their work product should be carefully considered. In addition, use of the instruction for several years with “in the daytime” as an element indicates judicial recognition thereof.
Case law from other jurisdictions varies as statutes of the particular states are not the same as those found in chapter 708. However my conclusion is strongly supported by the holding in State v. Briggs, 161 Conn. 283, 287 A.2d 369. There in analyzing statutes very similar to ours the court held the crime of breaking and entering a dwelling in the daytime is not a lesser included offense in the crime of burglary. The Connecticut statute defines burglary as breaking and entering a dwelling of another in the nighttime with the intent to commit a felony therein.
III. The majority expresses concern that a guilty person may not be punished when the evidence creates a problem of whether the crime was committed “in the nighttime” or “in the daytime.” That of course furnishes no grounds for changing the specific provision of “in the daytime” which the legislature included in section 708.8. However, I believe the legislature has furnished the answer to any such problem. Code section 773.38 provides:
“Miscellaneous separate offenses. An indictment may charge in separate counts:
1.A burglary and one or more other indictable offenses committed in connection with said burglary. * *
I would not reverse on the ground the trial court erred in refusing to submit breaking and entering a dwelling in the daytime.
LeGRAND, REES and REYNOLDSON, JJ., join this dissent.