Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

18 Nev. 345

State v. Dan

Nevada Supreme Court

Decided July 15, 1884

Nevada Supreme Court · decided 1884-07-15

<p>Criminal Law—Burglary—Inhabitancy of Building—Statutes Construed.—In construing the statutes of this state defining burglary (Stat. 1861, 66; 1869, 65): Held, that the language of the statute is broad enough to include buildings of any kind, regardless of the fact of inhabitancy.</p> <p>Idem—Description of Premises—Owner—Tenant—Variance.—Where the premises are described in the indictment, as belonging to a certain person, the further allegation that the premises were occupied by a particular tenant is immaterial, and a failure to prove the latter allegation is not a variance, as its only office was to further identify premises already sufficiently described.</p>

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently March 1917

2 state decisions

Relies on People v. Stickman · Commonwealth v. Reynolds · Anderson v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1884-07-15

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1By the Court,

Belknap, J.:

¶2At the common law inhabitancy of the building in which the offense was committed was one of the tests of the crime of burglary. It is said that the words “ house or building, ’ ’ in section 2365 of the crimes act, are used in the same sense as at common law. Our statute as originally adopted declared that the offense may be committed in “any dwelling house, or any other house or building whatever. ’ ’ (Stat. 1861, 66.) The statute was amended in 1869 so as to read “any dwelling house, or tent, or any other house or building whatever. ’ ’ *348(Stat. 1869, 65.) In its original form the language of the statute was broad enough to include buildings of any kind, regardless of the fact of inhabitancy. (People v. Stickman, 34 Cal. 245.) It cannot be pretended that the scope of the statute was restricted by the amendment.

¶3As to the question of a variance between the proof and the indictment, arising from the fact that the tenant had surrendered the possession of the house to the landlord a few hours before the commission of the burglary, we think it cannot avail. The proof shows the ofíense to have been committed iu the house of Joseph Olcovich, as charged in the indictment. The allegation that the house was'occupied by Sadie Nay, as lessee of Olcovich, was, under the facts, immaterial, and could perform no other office than to further identify premises already sufficiently described. (Com. v. Reynolds, 122 Mass. 454; Anderson v. State, 48 Ala. 665.)

¶4Judgment and order affirmed.

/18/nev/345 · .json · Public domain