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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Supreme Court has upheld the state's burglary law, dismissing a claim brought by a man who was charged with felony burglary for shoplifting at a Wal-Mart.
The Spokesman-Review reports (http://bit.ly/1S9OsWz) Ryan Rawlings stole several items from the store in May 2014. He was convicted and sentenced to two to four years in prison.
In his appeal, Rawlings argued the state's burglary law is unconstitutional because it was used to charge him with felony burglary instead of misdemeanor shoplifting.
The state law only requires that a person enter a place with intent to commit a crime, resulting in shoplifters being charged with the more serious crime.
The state supreme court upheld Rawlings' conviction Tuesday, saying Idaho doesn't make any distinction between residential burglaries and burglaries at stores.
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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com
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