DAVID R. REIDY, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 5th DCA | 2007-08-24
No. 5D06-1250
PLEUS and LAWSON, JJ., concur.
965 So. 2d 1177 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (2007) 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

David Reidy appeals his conviction for burglary of an occupied structure and possession of cannabis. The Florida appellate court affirmed his conviction, holding that law enforcement officers stationed inside a building constitute "another person" under the burglary statute, making the structure "occupied" for purposes of the second-degree felony charge.


Holding

Reidy was properly convicted of second-degree felony burglary under Florida Statute § 810.02(3)(c) because law enforcement officers present inside the structure constitute "another person" in the structure at the time he entered, satisfying the statutory requirement for burglary of an occupied structure.


Headnotes

[1] A structure is considered "occupied" for purposes of burglary when another person is present within the structure at the time of entry or remaining.

[2] The presence of law enforcement officers within a structure constitutes the presence of "another person" for the purpose of a burglary of an occupied structure charge.

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Key Quotes

“The language of the statute could not be more clear. It is undisputed that there was "another person" in the structure at the time Reidy entered; therefore, he was properly convicted of the second-degree felony.”

The court's holding that the plain language of the burglary statute unambiguously includes law enforcement officers as "another person" occupying the structure.

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Facts & Procedural History

Police received information that a burglary would occur at Aquatech Marine Sales and Service in Palm Bay. With the owner's permission, officers set up…

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Opinion of the Court
GRIFFIN, J.

GRIFFIN, J.

Appellant, David Reidy [“Reidy”], appeals his criminal convictions and sentences rendered after a jury found him guilty of burglary of an occupied structure and possession of cannabis. One of the several issues he raises on appeal merits discussion.

The incident that led to the criminal charges occurred at Aquatech Marine Sales and Service, a business located in Palm Bay. Police received information from an undisclosed source that a burglary would occur at the marine store. With the owner’s permission, officers set up a “stake out” on the premises, with some officers located inside and some outside adjacent to the building. Shortly after midnight, Reidy entered the building through an unlocked door and walked toward the sales counter where the cash register was located. Almost immediately, Reidy was apprehended and charged.

Reidy was tried and found guilty. At his sentencing hearing, Reidy’s counsel unsuccessfully argued that Reidy should not have been convicted of burglary of an occupied structure because the only occupants were law enforcement. The trial court disagreed and sentenced him as a prison releasee reoffender to fifteen years in prison. On appeal, Reidy contends he should not have been convicted of burglary of an “occupied structure.”1

The Legislature has the authority to define crimes and to determine the range of punishment applicable to such crimes. See Sims v. State, 754 So. 2d 657 (Fla.2000). Section 810.02(3), Florida Statutes (2004),, provides:

Burglary is a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if, in the course of committing the offense, the offender does not make an assault or battery and is not and does not become armed with a dangerous weapon or explosive, and the offender enters or remains in a:
(c) Structure, and there is another person in the structure at the time the offender enters or remains; or (d) Conveyance, and there is another person in the conveyance at the time the offender enters or remains.

(Emphasis added). The language of the statute could not be more clear. It is undisputed that there was “another person” in the structure at the time Reidy entered; therefore, he was properly convicted of the second-degree felony.2

AFFIRMED.

PLEUS and LAWSON, JJ., concur. . § 810.02(3)(c), Fla. Stat. (2004).

. Perhaps a more interesting question, though one not raised here, is whether the predicate for sentencing under the prison releasee statute was met on these facts. As was noted by the Supreme Court in State v. Huggins, 802 So. 2d 276, 278 (Fla.2001), there is a certain lack of symmetry between the description of the degree variant offenses under the burglary statute and those listed under the "prisoner releasee reoffender" [“PRR”] statute, section 775.082(9), Florida Statutes (2004). For purposes of the PRR statute, the qualifying offense is described as "burglary of a dwelling or burglary of an occupied structure." § 775.082(9)(a)(1.)(q), Fla. Stat. (2004). The words "occupy” "occupant” and “occupied” may connote more than a transitory relationship between the structure and the person located within the structure. See § 810.02, Fla. Stat. (2004). See also BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY 1078 (6th ed.1990).


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Citator

Cited By

  • Harper Davis v. State, 972 So. 2d 273 (Fla. 5th DCA 2008)
    …[*274] PER CURIAM. AFFIRMED. See Reidy v. State, 965 So. 2d 1177, 1178 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007). GRIFFIN, THOMPSON, and EVANDER, JJ., concur.…

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