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Alvarez v. State

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District
Oct 4, 2000
768 So. 2d 1224 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2000)

Summary

holding that defendant lacked consent to enter where he gained entry into the victim's house on the subterfuge that he wished to use the bathroom

Summary of this case from Johnson v. State

Opinion

Case No. 3D99-3237

Opinion filed October 4, 2000. July Term, A.D. 2000

An Appeal from the Circuit Court for Dade County, Roberto Pineiro, Judge; Lower Tribunal No. 97-035987.

Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender and Howard K. Blumberg, Assistant Public Defender, for appellant.

Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General and Jill K. Traina, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee.

Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and FLETCHER and SHEVIN, JJ.


After the defendant gained entry into the victims' home on the subterfuge that he wished to use the bathroom, he pulled a gun on the residents, tortured them, and stole their cash and jewelry. On this appeal from his conviction for several offenses, he claims that his burglary conviction does not survive the Supreme Court's opinion in Delgado v. State, ___ So.2d ___ (Fla. Case no. SC 88,638, opinion filed, August 24, 2000)[25 FLW S631]. We disagree. Delgado held only that a person known to the occupant who was consensually invited into her premises may not be held guilty of a burglary merely because she later commits an offense within the structure. Accord Bledsoe v. State, 764 So.2d 927 (Fla. 2d DCA Case no. 2D99-1934, opinion filed, August 16, 2000)[25 FLW D1972]; Stenson v. State, 756 So.2d 118 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000). There is nothing in Delgado however, which affects the rule reflected by our recent holding in Thomas v. State, 742 So.2d 326 (Fla. 3d DCA 1999), review denied, No. SC 96655 (Fla. June 2, 2000), that a burglary does occur when the initial consent to enter is secured by fraud. Indeed, Delgado cites with approval People v. Hutchinson, 124 Misc.2d 487, 477 N.Y.S.2d 965 (Sup. Ct. 1984), which so holds. Hutchinson says:

If this jury concludes that the defendant was in the complainant's apartment with genuine license, that is, with her consent obtained without deceit, the fact that he was unwelcome after he pulled the knife does not convert his licensed entry into an unlawful remaining. His licensed presence there is not revoked by the commission of a criminal act. (e.s.)

124 Misc.2d at 492, 477 N.Y.S.2d at 968.

The appellant also complains of several comments made by the prosecutor in closing argument. We find nothing wrong in the statements in question.

Affirmed.


Summaries of

Alvarez v. State

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District
Oct 4, 2000
768 So. 2d 1224 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2000)

holding that defendant lacked consent to enter where he gained entry into the victim's house on the subterfuge that he wished to use the bathroom

Summary of this case from Johnson v. State

affirming burglary conviction post-Delgado where defendant gained entry into the victims' home on the subterfuge that he wished to use the bathroom

Summary of this case from Schrack v. State
Case details for

Alvarez v. State

Case Details

Full title:RAMON ALVAREZ, Appellant, vs. THE STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee

Court:District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District

Date published: Oct 4, 2000

Citations

768 So. 2d 1224 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2000)

Citing Cases

Castellanos v. Moore

There was only a bare-bones motion for judgment of acquittal, which did not mention the issue of consensual…

Schrack v. State

See id. Delgado does not change this general principle of law. See Alvarez v. State, 768 So.2d 1224 (Fla. 3d…