No, 1330L
I N THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF' M N A A
OTN
1976
THE STATE OF MONTANA,
P l a i n t i f f and Respondent,
-vs -
J O H N C , SHANNON,
Defendant and A p p e l l a n t .
Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court of t h e F o u r t h J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t ,
Honorable J a c k Green, Judge p r e s i d i n g .
Counsel of Record :
For Appellant:
H i r s t and D o s t a l , M i s s o u l a , Montana
John D o s t a l a r g u e d , M i s s o u l a , Montana
F o r Respondent :
Hon. R o b e r t L. Woodahl, A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l , Helena,
Montana
John F. North a r g u e d , A s s i s t a n t A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l ,
Helena, Montana
R o b e r t L. Deschamps, 111, County A t t o r n e y , M i s s o u l a ,
Montana
Edward McLean a r g u e d , Deputy County A t t o r n e y , M i s s o u l a ,
Montana
F o r Amicus C u r i a e :
John Connor, M i s s o u l a , Montana
Submitted : September 1, 1976
Decided : BEP 2 0 1976
M r . J u s t i c e Wesley C a s t l e s d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e Court.
John C. Shannon a p p e a l s h i s c o n v i c t i o n i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t ,
Missoula County, on t h e c r i m i n a l charge of b u r g l a r y , a f e l o n y a s
s p e c i f i e d i n s e c t i o n 94-6-204(1), R.C.M. 1947. Defendant was found
g u i l t y of knowingly e n t e r i n g t h e t r a i l e r p o r t i o n of a t r a c t o r -
t r a i l e r owned by Arden Olsen Trucking of K a l i s p e l l , Montana, f o r
t h e purpose of removing approximately 28 c a s e s of b e e r . At trial,
defendant admitted t h a t he and two f r i e n d s e n t e r e d t h e t r a i l e r
and removed t h e b e e r . Defendant a r g u e s t h e s e f a c t s a r e i n s u f f i -
c i e n t t o c o n s t i t u t e t h e crime of b u r g l a r y because a t r a i l e r
a t t a c h e d t o a semi-truck i s n o t an "occupied s t r u c t u r e " w i t h i n
t h e meaning of s e c t i o n 94-6-204(1), R.C.M. 1947, even though,
a s h e r e , t h e t r a c t o r p o r t i o n h a s a s l e e p e r - c a b i n which t h e o p e r a t o r
may s l e e p . He f u r t h e r contends t h e s e a c t s complained o f , and
a d m i t t e d i n c o u r t , a r e s u f f i c i e n t t o s u s t a i n o n l y a charge of
c r i m i n a l t r e s p a s s t o vehicles under s e c t i o n 94-6-202, R.C.M.
1947 o r misdemeanor t h e f t under s e c t i o n 94-6-302(4), R.C.M. 1947.
The d i s t r i c t c o u r t found t h e t r a c t o r - t r a i l e r was a n
It
occupied s t r u c t u r e " and a v e h i c l e w i t h i n t h e d e f i n i t i o n s of s e c t i o n
94-2-lOl(35) and ( 6 5 ) , R.C.M. 1947, and t h a t any e n t r y t h e r e t o
w i t h i n t e n t t o commit t h e f t of t h e b e e r was b u r g l a r y .
S e c t i o n 94-2-101(35), R.C.M. 1947, d e f i n e s "occupied s t r u c t u r e "
"* ** any b u i l d i n g , v e h i c l e , o r o t h e r p l a c e s u i t e d
f o r human occupancy o r n i g h t lodging of persons o r
f o r c a r r y i n g on b u s i n e s s , whether o r n o t a person i s
*
a c t u a l l y p r e s e n t . 9~ *I1 (Emphasis s u p p l i e d . )
The a n n o t a t i o n t o t h i s d e f i n i t i o n , Montana Criminal Code, 1973,
Annotated, Montana Criminal Law Commission, P r o f . William F.
Crowley, p. 55, s t a t e s :
"* ** It i s important t o n o t e t h a t t h e s t r u c t u r e
need n o t be occupied t o be t h e s u b j e c t of arson o r
burglary--under t h i s d e f i n i t i o n t h e b u i l d i n g need
only be s u i t e d f o r human h a b i t a t i o n . "
The t r a c t o r - t r a i l e r e n t e r e d by defendant was a v e h i c l e a s
d e f i n e d i n s e c t i o n 94-2-101(65), R.C.M. 1947, which s t a t e s :
" ' V e h i c l e ' means any device f o r t r a n s p o r t a t i o n by
l a n d , water o r a i r , o r mobile equipment w i t h p r o v i s i o n
f o r t r a n s p o r t of an operator."
The Montana Criminal Code, 1973, Annotated, p. 86, n o t e s :
"* ** Included w i t h i n t h i s d e f i n i t i o n a r e a l l t h o s e
t r a n s p o r t a t i o n devices d e f i n e d by t h e Motor Vehicle
Code (R.C.M. 1947, 532-2101) a s v e h i c l e s , i n c l u d i n g
automobiles, motorcycles, motor d r i v e n c y c l e s , emer-
gency v e h i c l e s , b u s e s , b i c y c l e s , farm and c o n s t r u c t i o n
equipment, p l u s numerous v e h i c l e s n o t included w i t h i n
t h e Motor Vehicle Code ** *.I1
The Motor Vehicle Code, s e c t i o n 32-2102(a), R.C.M. 1947, d e f i n e s
"Every d e v i c e , i n , upon, o r by which any person o r
p r o p e r t y i s o r may be t r a n s p o r t e d o r drawn upon a
highway ** *.I1
T h i s d e f i n i t i o n d e f i n i t e l y i n c l u d e s t h e t r a . i l e r p o r t i o n of t h e
t r a c t o r - t r a i l e r e n t e r e d by defendant and h i s a s s o c i a t e s .
The primary gravamen of b u r g l a r y a t common law, and under t h e
Montana Criminal Code of 1973, R.C.M. 1947, T i t l e 94, i s " t h e
t h r e a t t o person r e s u l t i n g from t h e wrongful i n t r u ~ i o n ** *If.
Montana Criminal Code, 1973, Annotated, p. 236. However, t h e
d r a f t e r s of t h e 1973 c r i m i n a l code a l s o included language e x p r e s s l y
intended t o p r o t e c t t h e s t r u c t u r e o r v e h i c l e u t i l i z e d f o r " c a r r y i n g
on business". S e c t i o n 94-2-101(35), R.C.M. 1947. This burglary
s t a t u t e was d r a f t e d w i t h both i n t e n t i o n s i n mind.
Defendant argues t h a t t o s o hold w i l l r e s u l t i n h i s convic-
t i o n of a f e l o n y r a t h e r than t h e l e s s e r o f f e n s e of c r i m i n a l t r e s p a s s
t o v e h i c l e s , which under s e c t i o n 94-6-202, R.C.M. 1947, i s a m i s -
demeanor o f f e n s e o r of misdemeanor t h e f t under s e c t i o n 94-6-302(4),
R.C.M. 1947.
- 3 -
*
This Court i n S t a t e v. R i c h t e r , 152 Mont. 449, 451, 451 P.
2d 833, s t a t e d :
"It cannot be argued t h a t t h e l e g i s l a t u r e does n o t have
t h e power t o denominate t h i s type of o f f e n s e a s a b u r g l a r y
i n o r d e r t o prevent t h e apparent e v i l of breaking i n t o a
c a r . M a n i f e s t l y , making t h e o f f e n s e a felony would tend t o
minimize t h e frequency of such unlawful a c t s . I n c o n s t r u i n g
l e g i s l a t i v e i n t e n t , t h e c o u r t s of t h i s s t a t e c o n s t r u e c r i m i n a l
s t a t u t e s according t o t h e f a i r import of t h e i r terms w i t h a
view t o e f f e c t t h e i r o b j e c t and promote j u s t i c e . S t a t e v .
Aldahl, 106 Mont. 390, 78 P.2d 935."
It i s c l e a r t h e d r a f t e r s of t h e Montana Criminal Code of
1973, intended t o i n c l u d e such an o f f e n s e a s committed by de-
f e n d a n t , and admitted by him i n c o u r t , w i t h i n t h e scope o f s e c t i o n
94-6-204, R.C.M. 1947, Burglary.
The c o n v i c t i o n i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t i s a f f i r m e d .
W Concur:
e /
\,J Justices.