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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
v
.
Stokes County
No. 03 CRS 52381-83
ACARA DEMOND GOLDSMITH
Attorney General Roy Cooper, by Assistant Attorney General
John P. Barkley, for the State.
Jarvis John Edgerton, IV, for defendant-appellant.
SMITH, Judge.
Defendant, Acara Demond Goldsmith, appeals a judgment entered
upon his convictions for attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon,
first degree burglary and assault with a deadly weapon with intent
to kill inflicting serious injury. We find no error in part and
reverse and remand in part.
Michael Smith testified that on the evening of 9 May 2003, he
and defendant were riding around together, under the influence of
cocaine, and just basically decided that we were going to go rob
somebody. After Smith mentioned the name Landon Bowman, Smith and
defendant agreed to rob Bowman and proceeded to Bowman's home.
Smith knew that Bowman was a drug dealer. Smith further testified
that he and defendant arrived at Bowman's home betweenapproximately 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. on 10 May 2003 and knocked on
Bowman's door. When Bowman came to the door, defendant grabbed
him [Bowman] and pulled him out of his house. Defendant then
brandished a gun in order to intimidate Bowman, after which
defendant and Bowman began struggling over control of the gun. As
a result, defendant hit Bowman several times with the gun and
repeatedly told Bowman to [g]ive him your money or [g]ive me the
dope or defendant would kill Bowman. Bowman's wife then arrived
at the front door with a shotgun, after which Smith and defendant
fled.
Bowman testified that he went to sleep at approximately 1:00
a.m. on 10 May 2003, and was awakened by banging on the door to his
home. Bowman went to the door and cracked it open to see who it
was. At first, Bowman did not see defendant, he only saw Smith.
As he stood there with the door cracked just barely open and
talking to Smith, Bowman testified that somebody reached in and
grabbed my shirt, yanked me out on the porch. Bowman testified
that the next thing that happened was somebody put a gun to his
head. Then, defendant hit him with the gun and stated, [g]ive me
your money or your dope or I'm going to kill you. Soon therafter,
Bowman's wife appeared with a shotgun, distracting Smith and the
defendant. Bowman grabbed the gun in defendant's hand and started
fighting with Smith and the defendant. During the struggle, Smith
threw Bowman over the porch rail. Bowman and defendant struggled
some more, and then Smith and defendant fled. Bowman testifiedthat he suffered a broken nose and a bite on his arm as a result of
the altercation.
Defendant testified and offered alibi evidence that he was
never at Bowman's house, and had, inter alia, his mother and sister
testify that defendant was at his house at his birthday party and
did not leave the home.
After a jury convicted defendant of attempted robbery with a
dangerous weapon, first degree burglary and assault with a deadly
weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, the trial
court sentenced defendant to a term of 93 to 121 months
imprisonment. Defendant appeals.
In defendant's first argument on appeal, he contends the trial
court erred by failing to dismiss the charge of first degree
burglary because the State failed to present substantial evidence
showing that during defendant's breaking and entering of Bowman's
dwelling, defendant had the requisite intent to commit armed
robbery, as alleged in the indictment. We agree.
When ruling on a motion to dismiss, the trial court must
determine only whether there is substantial evidence of each
essential element of the offense charged and of the defendant being
the perpetrator of the offense. State v. Crawford, 344 N.C. 65,
73, 472 S.E.2d 920, 925 (1996)(citing State v. Vause, 328 N.C. 231,
236, 400 S.E.2d 57, 61 (1991)).
Evidence is substantial if it is relevant and
adequate to convince a reasonable mind to
accept a conclusion. In considering a motion
to dismiss, the trial court must analyze the
evidence in the light most favorable to the
State and give the State the benefit of everyreasonable inference from the evidence. The
trial court must also resolve any
contradictions in the evidence in the State's
favor. The trial court does not weigh the
evidence, consider evidence unfavorable to the
State, or determine any witness' credibility.
State v. Robinson, 355 N.C. 320, 336, 561 S.E.2d 245, 255-56
(internal citations and quotation marks omitted), cert. denied, 537
U.S. 1006, 154 L. Ed. 2d 404 (2002). 'The rule for determining
the sufficiency of evidence is the same whether the evidence is
completely circumstantial, completely direct, or both.' State v.
Crouse, 169 N.C. App. 382, 389, 610 S.E.2d 454, 459 (quoting State
v. Wright, 302 N.C. 122, 126, 273 S.E.2d 699, 703 (1981)), disc.
rev. denied, 359 N.C. 637, 616 S.E.2d 923 (2005).
Burglary is a felony at common law; and a burglar is defined
by Lord COKE, 3rd Institute 63, to be 'one that, in the night time,
breaketh and entereth into a mansion-house of another, of intent to
kill some reasonable creature, or to commit some other felony
within the same, whether his felonious intent be executed or not.'
State v. Whit, 49 N.C. 349, 351-52 (1857)(emphasis added); see also
United States v. Titemore, 437 F.3d 251, 257 (2d Cir. 2006)
(The
common law definition of burglary was the breaking and entering of
a mansion-house, at night, with the intent to commit a felony
inside.)(citing William Blackstone, 4 Commentaries *
224).
Therefore,
in order for a defendant to be convicted of first degree
burglary, the State must present substantial evidence that there
was (i) the breaking (ii) and entering (iii) in the nighttime (iv)
into the dwelling house or sleeping apartment (v) of another (vi)
which is actually occupied at the time of the offense (vii) withthe intent to commit a felony therein. State v. Singletary, 344
N.C. 95, 101, 472 S.E.2d 895, 899 (1996)(emphasis added)(citations
omitted); see also N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-54(a)(felonious breaking or
entering, a lesser included offense of first degree burglary, is
punished as a Class H felony where there is intent to commit
felony or larceny therein.)(emphasis added).
In the case sub judice, as to the first two elements, breaking
and entering, Smith testified that after Bowman opened his front
door, defendant grabbed [Bowman] and pulled him out of his house.
This action constituted a constructive breaking and entering. See
State v. Edwards, 75 N.C. App. 588, 589-90, 331 S.E.2d 183, 184
(1985)(a constructive burglarious breaking and entering may be
accomplished by tricking the occupant into opening the
door)(citations omitted). We further note that the evidence is
uncontroverted that the charged offense was committed at night;
that the dwelling did not belong to defendant; and the subject
dwelling was occupied. Thus, the first through sixth elements of
the charged offense were proven.
The State was next required to prove that defendant possessed
the intent to commit a felony therein. Singletary, 344 N.C. at
101, 472 S.E.2d at 899 (citations omitted). Felonious intent
usually cannot be proven by direct evidence, but rather must be
inferred from the defendant's 'acts, conduct, and inferences
fairly deducible from all the circumstances[.]' State v. Wright,
127 N.C. App. 592, 597, 492 S.E.2d 365, 368 (1997)(quoting State v.
Accor and State v. Moore, 227 N.C. 65, 73-74, 175 S.E.2d 583, 589(1970)), disc. rev. denied, 347 N.C. 584, 502 S.E.2d 616 (1998).
Furthermore, . . . in burglary cases, 'when the indictment
alleges an intent to commit a particular felony, the State must
prove the particular felonious intent alleged.' State v. Silas,
360 N.C. 377, 383, 627 S.E.2d 604, 608 (2006)(citation omitted).
Therefore, because the State indicted defendant for first degree
burglary based upon the felony of armed robbery, the State was
required to prove defendant intended to commit armed robbery upon
breaking and entering into the Bowman residence.
In the instant case, no evidence was presented that defendant
intended to commit a robbery inside Bowman's home. Smith testified
that he and defendant set out for the victim's house with the
agreed upon plan to rob Bowman, whom they believed to be a drug
dealer. Smith further testified that the plan was [to] act like
[defendant] was going to trade some cocaine for some marijuana.
There was no discussion, however, as to what role each person would
play in accomplishing the robbery. [T. p. 85] After Bowman opened
the door, defendant reached in and pulled Bowman out of the house,
rather than push his way into the home. Defendant's actions are
evidence of an intent contrary to committing the robbery inside the
dwelling, and instead support an inference that defendant intended
to commit the robbery outside of the home. Because there was no
evidence from which a jury could infer defendant intended to commit
armed robbery inside Bowman's home, we reverse the conviction for
first degree burglary. Although there was insufficient evidence to convict defendant
of first degree burglary, we conclude there was sufficient evidence
to sustain a verdict of misdemeanor breaking or entering.
Misdemeanor breaking and entering requires only proof of the
wrongful breaking or entry into any building. N.C. Gen. Stat. §14-
54(b). [B]y finding the defendant guilty of burglary, the jury
'necessarily found facts which would support a conviction of
misdemeanor breaking and entering,' where, as here, the evidence of
intent to commit a felony is insufficient. State v. Freeman, 307
N.C. 445, 451, 298 S.E.2d 376, 380 (1983)(quoting State v. Dawkins,
305 N.C. 289, 291 287 S.E.2d 885, 887 (1982)); see also State v.
Cooper, 288 N.C. 496, 500-01, 219 S.E.2d 45, 48 (1975)(the jury,
having found defendant guilty of first degree burglary, necessarily
found defendant guilty of breaking and entering a building).
Accordingly, we remand for entry of a judgment as upon a verdict of
guilty of misdemeanor breaking or entering.
We note that the Pattern Jury Instruction for first degree
burglary dated May 2002 does not require the jury to find that the
defendant at the time of the breaking and entering intended to
commit a felony in the building that was broken and entered. We
believe that the Pattern Instruction should include such a
requirement.
Defendant next contends that the trial court violated his
constitutional rights under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to
the United States Constitution by refusing to hear motions,
argument or offers of proof from defense counsel regarding anoutburst by a spectator during the State's closing argument.
However, defendant never objected to, nor made a motion regarding
the trial court's refusal to allow defense counsel to be heard on
the spectator's conduct. Moreover, defense counsel never gave a
reason he wished to address the court on behalf of defendant
regarding the spectator's actions and failed to state the specific
constitutional issues he now wishes this Court to address on
appeal. Defense counsel only made the following nebulous request:
I would like to appear on behalf of the defendant at some
proceeding. Defendant made no constitutional arguments to the
trial court, and as a result he has not preserved these
constitutional issues for appellate review. See State v. Cummings,
353 N.C. 281, 292, 543 S.E.2d 849, 856 (2001)(Constitutional
questions that are not raised and passed upon in the trial court
will not ordinarily be considered on appeal.)(citations omitted);
see also N.C.R. App. P. 10(b)(1)(In order to preserve a question
for appellate review, a party must have presented to the trial
court a timely request, objection or motion, stating the specific
grounds for the ruling the party desired the court to make if the
specific grounds were not apparent from the context.).
Finally, we observe that defendant has failed to make any
argument in support of assignment of errors 2, 3, 4 and 5. Thus
these assignments of error are deemed abandoned. See N.C.R. App. P.
28(b)(6)(Assignments of error not set out in the appellant's
brief, or in support of which no reason or argument is stated or
authority cited, will be taken as abandoned.); State ex rel.Cooper v. NCCS Loans, Inc., 174 N.C. App. 630, 642, 624 S.E.2d 371,
379 (2005).
Since there was insufficient evidence of defendant's intent to
commit armed robbery inside the victim's home, defendant's
conviction for first degree burglary is reversed and the matter
remanded for imposition of a judgment for misdemeanor breaking or
entering and resentencing.
No error in part; reversed and remanded in part.
Judges MCGEE and STEPHENS concur.
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