Guilty Defendant Must Pay Cost Of Installing Alarm System
The question arose whether a victim can incur the economic loss of installing a security system as a direct result of the defendant’s conduct.
The defendant was convicted of first degree burglary and the trial court included the cost of certain home security improvements made by the victim in the order of restitution. The court of appeals affirmed its judgment indicating that the defendant was properly ordered to pay the victim restitution for installation of a home alarm system, new door locks and deadbolts. Section 1202.4 subdivision (f) of the California Penal Code permits restitution for security costs incurred by the victim of a nonviolent felony notwithstanding the more specific provisions of Section 1202.4 requiring the court to award such restitution to the victim of a violent felony. The defendant was convicted of first degree burglary and appealed his conviction, of which the aspects of that case will not be discussed in this article. The defendant challenged the trial court’s Order of Restitution to the extent it included the cost of certain home security improvements made by the victim pursuant to the penal code section.