ARTHUR JOHN WILLIAMS, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Williams was convicted of attempted breaking and entering with intent to commit grand larceny and possession of burglarious tools. The Florida appellate court reversed the felony conviction, finding insufficient evidence of intent to commit grand larceny, though affirming the conviction could be reduced to attempted breaking and entering with intent to commit petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
The court held that although evidence was sufficient to support a conviction for attempted breaking and entering with intent to commit petit larceny (a misdemeanor), it was insufficient to sustain conviction for the felony because the state failed to prove the essential element of intent to commit grand larceny. The court also held that the trial court's order indefinitely deferring sentence on count two was void and of no effect.
“It is there held that the State must always prove each element of the offense charged before a legal conviction may be had.”
Establishes the fundamental principle that all elements of a crime must be proven, which applies to the essential element of intent in this case.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceWilliams was apprehended by police during early morning hours near the rear entrance of a grocery-market building after a burglar alarm was triggered.…
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This is an appeal from judgment of conviction entered by the Criminal Court of Record of Duval County.
Appellant was charged in two counts of an information, tried and convicted of an attempt to break and enter with the intent to commit the felony of grand larceny, and with possession of burglarious tools. Upon entering its judgment there■on, the trial court sentenced defendant to 'three years in the state prison on count one, being the attempt to break and enter, and deferred sentence as to count two. Among other things, this appeal (1) attacks the trial court’s failure to order a mistrial because of the alleged misconduct of one of the jurors; (2) questions the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the verdict and judgment, the defendant’s motion for directed verdict and for a new trial on this ground having been denied; and (3) challenges the trial court’s authority to defer sentence on count two from day to day and term to term.
The juror in question allegedly failed to give correct answers to certain questions propounded by defendant’s counsel on voir dire. If the colloquy between defendant’s counsel and the court could be, by any generous interpretation, considered a motion for mistrial, we find that such motion was waived. The • record shows that the matter of the juror’s alleged misconduct was brought to the court’s attention during the progress of the trial, whereupon testimony of witnesses was heard in the absence of the jury. Thereafter, and before the court had an op•portunity to rule on the motion, defendant’s counsel requested the court to “Let’s go ahead, Your Honor. And may it please the court witnesses are in the courtroom and they were put under the rule.” Having thus waived his motion, defendant cannot now be heard to challenge the tri- - al court’s failure to grant a mistrial.
Appellant further contends that the evidence fails to prove an attempt to break and enter with the intent to commit a felony, to wit: to take, steal and carry away property the value of which was $50 or more. It appears from the record that appellant was apprehended during the early morning hours, before day, by police who had been summoned to the scene by an automatic burglar alarm. Appellant was discovered crouching beneath a truck parked some eight feet from the rear entrance of a building housing a grocery-market to which the burglar alarm was attached. He had in his possession a crowbar and a loaded pistol. The door of the building showed signs of having been tampered with, and bore marks that could have been caused by a crowbar. The evidence clearly established that the building had not been entered. One of the arresting officers testified that appellant, upon being taken into custody, confessed his intention to steal some cigarettes from the building in question. The record stands mute as to whether there were in fact any cigarettes in the building, and, likewise, as to the value of the contents thereof. The only evidence concerning this fact was adduced by the store manager who testified that the building contained “Groceries. Full of meats, sugar, flour, canned goods.”
In Turknett v. State1, the defendant was convicted of an attempted breaking and entering with the intent to steal money, goods or property valued at $50.00 or more. As in the case at bar, the accused was apprehended before he actually entered the 'building and there was no proof as to what property the accused had the intent to steal. Nor was there any evidence as to what property, if any, was in the building. It was there held that the State must always prove each element of the offense charged' before a legal conviction may be had. The Court in its opinion further stated that: “If the evidence had shown .that there was property of value in the building, the subject of larceny, then the *879jury might have assumed that the accused was attempting to break into the building for the purpose of committing larceny. But, without some evidence as to what property the accused was interested in taking, the jury could not assume that the intent was evident to commit the higher of the two offenses denounced by the statutes.”
In Rebjebian v. State2, the Supreme Court held that evidence which showed that the defendant, upon entering the dwelling there in question, went directly to an upstairs bedroom containing jewels valued at some $20,000 was sufficient to show an intent to commit grand larceny. That case is distinguished from the instant case by virtue of the fact that in the cited case there was ample evidence as to what property the accused intended taking, and the value of that property was clearly established.
The State urges that the testimony of the store manager, to the effect that the building the defendant attempted to enter was full of groceries and meats, was sufficient evidence of value and intent. It'is further contended that this evidence, taken with the court’s extensive instructions relative to the essential character of the element of intent, fully supports the jury’s finding.
In Johnson v. State, Fla.App., 102 So.2d 412, held that testimony which showed that the accused stole a 1954 Oldsmobile 88 four door automobile was not sufficient to sustain a conviction for grand larceny, absent proof of the value thereof. It was there said that the jury could not rely upon personal knowledge of automobile values. If we should concede argu-endo, -but without holding, that the evidence in the instant case is sufficient to establish the fact that the building defendant attempted to enter contained goods and property the value of which may well have exceeded $50, we are still faced with a complete absence of any evidence from which the jury could have determined the intent of the accused to commit grand larceny. The trial court’s charge cannot serve to give voice to a record which otherwise stands mute upon an essential element of the crime with which the accused is charged. We, therefore, hold that, although the evidence is sufficient to support a conviction of attempting to break and enter with intent to 'commit petit larceny, a misdemeanor under F.S. § 776.04(3), F.S. A., there is insufficient evidence to sustain a conviction of the felony. For this reason the cause must be remanded for the entry of an appropriate judgment and sentence.3
Turning now to appellant’s assignment relating to the trial court’s order indefinitely deferring the imposition of sentence on count two of the information under which the accused stands convicted, we find that portion of the court’s order to be void and of no effect for the reasons stated in our opinion in Bateh v. State, Fla. App., 101 So.2d 869.
After careful consideration of the remaining errors assigned, we find them to be without substance or merit.
For the reasons heretofore stated the judgment appealed from is reversed and the cause remanded for the entry of judgment and sentence consistent with the views herein expressed.
STURGIS, C. J., and CARROLL, DONALD, K., J., concur.
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Cited By (16 total)
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Esaw Jones v. State, 192 So. 2d 285 (Fla. 3d DCA 1966)…nterested in taking, the jury could not assume that the intent was evident to commit the higher of the two offenses [grand larceny as distinguished from petit larceny] denounced by the statutes.” (Comment added.) In Williams v. State, Fla.App.1958, 101 So. 2d 877, the evidence was found to be sufficient to support a conviction of attempted breaking and entering with intent to commit petit larceny. The attempted breaking and entering occurred during the hours of darkness and the defendant was discovered crouc…1 / 2
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Hair v. State, 428 So. 2d 760 (Fla. 3d DCA 1983)…ctive action, the withdrawal by defendant of his motion for mistrial, coupled with his stipulation that the trial proceed following removal of one juror, waived appellate review. Odom v. State, 375 So. 2d 1079 (Fla. 1st DCA 1979); Williams v. State, 101 So. 2d 877 (Fla. 1st DCA 1958); see McPhee v. State, 254 So. 2d 406 (Fla. 1st DCA 1971). The jury conduct to which we refer was disclosed during extensive questioning by the trial court. One juror indicated to the court that prior to deliberations, he had expr…
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Rumph v. State, 248 So. 2d 526 (Fla. 1st DCA 1971)…was extensive property located in the school that was valued at more than $100 and that appellant intended to take as much of it as he could, as might be inferable by breaking and entering a jewelry store or similar establishment. Williams v. State, 101 So. 2d 877 (Fla.App.19S8).” With reference to the evidence in this Adams case, supra, we also said: “Proof that the object stolen was worth $115.55 when it was originally purchased two years earlier is not proof of its value at the time of theft. In this reg…
Previewing 3 of 16 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Mussa C. Bateh v. State, 101 So. 2d 869 (Fla. 1st DCA 1958)
- Hoyle E. Turknett v. State, 116 Fla. 562 (Fla. 1934)
- Rebjebian v. State, 44 So. 2d 81 (Fla. 1949)
- Johnson v. State, 102 So. 2d 412 (Fla. 2d DCA 1958)