STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
DONALD E. MCBRIDE, APPELLEE

Fla. 1st DCA | 1988-02-04
No. BR-343
SMITH, C.J., and ERVIN, J., concur.
519 So. 2d 716 Florida District Court of Appeal, First District (1988) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

The State of Florida appealed from a trial court's dismissal of a second-degree arson count, arguing that the charging information was facially sufficient. The First District Court of Appeal reversed, holding that charging an act as "unlawfully" damaging property stated a valid second-degree arson offense under Florida law, even when the defendant burned his own property.


Holding

The court held that the charging information was facially sufficient to allege second-degree arson. The word "unlawfully" in the statute is a sufficient charge element, and the state need not plead specific facts showing injury to persons, damage to others' property, intent to defraud, or danger at the charging stage. Those facts must be proven at trial.


Headnotes

[1] A criminal information charging second degree arson is facially sufficient if it alleges that the defendant unlawfully damaged a structure and surrounding vegetation, in…

[2] The term "unlawfully" in a second degree arson statute requires proof of injury to any person, damage to other property, intent to cause such injury or damage, or the pre…

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Key Quotes

“["Unlawfully"] must mean something more than the mere burning of one's own property without any danger or damage to others or the property of others, nor intent to inflict such damage”

From State v. Mayle, establishing the substantive meaning of 'unlawfully' in arson statutes, which the trial court incorrectly applied to dismiss the charging instrument

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Facts & Procedural History

The defendant allegedly set fire to his own motor coach vehicle located at S.R. 267, which damaged the vehicle and surrounding vegetation owned by the…

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Opinion of the Court
NIMMONS, Judge.

NIMMONS, Judge.

The state appeals from' an order dismissing a second degree arson count on the ground that such count failed to charge an offense. We reverse.

The information charged in pertinent part as follows:1

[The defendant] did willfully and unlawfully, by fire or explosion, damage or cause to be damaged a structure and surrounding vegetation. The structure, a motor coach vehicle, the property of DONALD E. McBRIDE was located at S.R. 267 and the surrounding vegetation was the property of the United States Department of Agriculture Forestry Service. All in violation of and contrary to Section 806.01, Florida Statutes.

The trial court was of the view that the rationale of State v. Mayle, 406 So. 2d 108 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981), required dismissal. In Mayle, the defendant set fire to his own van and destroyed it. Like the defendant in the instant case, Mayle was charged with second degree arson under Section 806.01, Florida Statutes.2 It is significant that Mayle involved a (c)(4) dismissal3 and that the undisputed facts established that in setting fire to his own van, “no damage to any person or other property occurred, nor did Mayle intend to damage anything except his van.” Id. at 108.

The Fifth District observed that although the meaning of “unlawfully” in the subject statute has not been defined by the Florida courts,

[‘Unlawfully’] must mean something more than the mere burning of one’s own property without any danger or damage to others or the property of others, nor intent to inflict such damage, (footnote omitted)

Id. at 109.

We disagree with the view embraced by the trial court and the appellee that the above principles enunciated in Mayle rendered count one deficient. As mentioned, Mayle involved a (c)(4) motion whereas the motion in the instant case was limited — and recognized as so limited by the trial court— to the facial sufficiency of the charging instrument. Count one charges, in the language of the statute, that the defendant “unlawfully” damaged the subject property. That is sufficient. We recognize that, because it is proceeding against a defendant who “torched” his own property, the state will need to establish the “unlawfulness” of the act by proving “at the very least, that an injury result to any person or damage ensue to any other property, or that there be an intent that such injury or damage occur, or that a danger of such injury or damage be present.” State v. Wall, 445 So. 2d 646, 648 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984); see also State v. Mayle, supra. It remains to be seen whether the state intends to attempt to establish such element by proving: (1) that the Department of Agriculture’s “surrounding vegetation” was damaged; (2) that the defendant intended to defraud his insurance carrier via the act of arson and the submission of a false claim;4 or (3) otherwise.

The trial court erred in dismissing count one as facially insufficient. The order of dismissal is therefore

REVERSED.

SMITH, C.J., and ERVIN, J., concur. . In its brief, the state recites facts contained in a "summary of offense and probable cause affidavit" executed by a police officer. Such is entirely irrelevant to the issue before this court, to wit: the facial validity of count one of the information. The inclusion of such facts has only served to confuse.

.Section 806.01 provides in pertinent part:

(2) Any person who willfully and unlawfully, by fire or explosion, damages or causes to be damaged any structure, whether the property of himself or another, under any circumstances not referred to in subsection (1), is guilty of arson in the second degree, which constitutes a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(3) As used in this chapter, "structure” means any building of any kind, any enclosed area with a roof over it, any real property and appurtenances thereto, any tent or other portable building, and any vehicle, vessel, watercraft, or aircraft.

. Fla.R.Cr.P. 3.190(c)(4).

. The second count, which was not dismissed and remains pending, charges insurance fraud under Section 817.234, Florida Statutes.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Berry v. State, 566 So. 2d 22 (Fla. 1st DCA 1990)
    …neluded offense of the arson charge. Callahan v. State, 504 So. 2d 434 (Fla. 2d DCA 1987). AFFIRMED. ERVIN and WENTWORTH, JJ., concur. . All references to statutes in this opinion will be to Florida Statutes (1985). . See also, State v. McBride, 519 So. 2d 716 (Fla. 1st DCA 1988), wherein this court stated, in dictum, that the "unlawfulness” element of the arson statute may be established by proving that the defendant intended to defraud his insurer by committing arson and submitting a false claim.…

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