State v. Powers
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The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming Defendant's conviction of first-degree criminal damage to property, holding that reasonable estimates on the cost to repair or replace damaged property are included in the meaning of the statutory phrase "cost of repair and replacement" and that sufficient evidence supported Defendant's conviction.
On appeal, Defendant argued (1) allowing the jury to consider only "estimated" costs to repair or replace the damaged property, rather than the actual costs of repair and replacement, would impermissibly add the word "estimated" to the language of Minn. Stat. 609.595, subd. 1(4); and (2) because the property owner did not repair or replace the damaged property, the estimates presented to the jury on the cost to do so were insufficient to support her conviction for first-degree criminal damage to property. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the statute unambiguously includes estimates when calculating the reduction in the value of the property due to the damage caused; and (2) the evidence was sufficient to permit the jurors to reach the verdict they did.
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