Word of the Month for September 2016: Burglary

This world gets weirder and weirder all the time. Today, for instance, I got a post in my local online group about a guy (not the owner) who broke into a persons house and then, because he was cold, started a fire in the fire place.  Basically, he burgled the house and then sent up smoke signals showing police where they could find him.

Not to be topped, a while back, there was the story of the guy who broke into a house because he was hungry.  While hunger is a huge motivating factor, what is key is that they guy broke into a house not his own ignoring all consequences to get his immediate needs fulfilled.

As it turns out there is a single unifying theme to these cases is BURGLARY.  According to Black's Law Dictionary, BURGLARY is defined as:

1. The common-law offense of breaking and entering another's dwelling at night with the intent to commit a felony. 2. The modern statutory offense of breaking and entering any building - not just a dwelling, and not only at night - with the intent to commit a felony.

So, in both instances above, the two guys entered into into the house not their own, with the intent to acquire or use property not their own.  

This, of course, leads us to the third scenario brought to my attention today.  Seems young lady was interested in starting a business mowing people's lawns.  Not having a lawnmower, young lady sought out the contents of her neighbor's shed and acquired neighbor's riding lawn mower. Young lady got caught and mother was standing in front of me inquiring what resources she could use to extricate her daughter from the pokey.  

Quicker than you can say rubber baby buggy bumter (see, I can't even spell it right), I suggested she take a look at:

• California Criminal Procedure and Practice (CEB)
• California Criminal Defense Practice (Lexis)
• Criminal Defense Techniques (Lexis)
• California Criminal Practice, Motions, Jury Instructions, and Sentencing (Thomson Reuters)
• Rights of Prisoners (Thomson Reuters)

Mom really didn't appreciate that I pointed the last one out but, based on the facts as she laid them out, I figured young lady might want to know where she's headed and how she can protect herself when/if she gets there.  In any event, it never hurts to know - and knowing is half the battle!