Simpson v. State

1954 OK CR 28, 267 P.2d 1008, 1954 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 263
Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma·Decided March 3, 1954·No. A-11868·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

BRETT, Judge.

The plaintiff in error Francis Simpson, defendant below, was charged by information in the district court of Pushmataha county, Oklahoma, with the crime of uttering a bogus check, Title 21, § 1541, O.S. 1951, on or about January 17, 1949, said check being in the sum of $63.05, with the intent to cheat and defraud one Floyd Whiteside to whom said check was given for two hogs. The defendant was tried by a jury, convicted, and his punishment fixed at a year and a day in the penitentiary, and a fine of $500. Judgment and sentence was entered accordingly from which this appeal has been perfected.

The defendant complains that the trial court erred in overruling his demurrer to the information. The charging part of the information reads as follows, to wit:

“That the said Francis Simpson in the county and state aforesaid and on or about the day and year aforesaid did then and there knowingly, wilfully, wrongfully, unlawfully, fraudulently, and feloniously through his agent, employee or servant Don Wasson, pass and transfer a bogus check in the sum of $63.05 to Floyd Whiteside with the intent to cheat and defraud the said Floyd Whiteside, and that the said Francis Simpson did then and there receive articles of value for the said check, the said articles of value being two hogs worth the value of $63.05, a copy of said check is attached hereto and made a part of this information and incorporated herein for indentification marked exhibit A; contrary to the form of ■ the statutes in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the state.”

*1010 The pertinent part of the statute, Title 21, § 1541, O.S.1951, under which the action was brought- reads as follows, to wit:

“Every person who, with intent to cheat and defraud, shall obtain or attempt to obtain from any person * * any money, property, or valuable thing * * * by means or by use of any * * * false or bogus checks * * * shall be deemed guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary, for a term not exceeding seven (7) years, -or by a fine not to. exceed Five Hundred ($500.00) Dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment.”

To the information the defendant entered a demurrer, which was presented, and overruled with exceptions. The demurrer was renewed at the trial before the introduction of evidence, and again overruled with exceptions.

The defendant contends that under the foregoing statute that the information failed to allege that by means or by use of the alleged bogus check the said Whiteside was caused to part with a thing of value, to wit, two hogs,'and “by means or by use of said bogus check” the said defendant did obtain from the said White-side the said hogs. In Clark v. State, 66 Okl.Cr. 255, 91 P.2d 686, 690, this court said, “The phrase ‘by means or use of any false or bogus checks’ is descriptive of the offense and is an essential element of the crime for the State to allege and.prove.” In fact, we are of the opinion that the gist of the crime is in obtaining with fraudulent intent money,, property, or valuable thing by means- or use of a bogus check. Where the information so fails to allege and the proof fails to show that either money or property is obtained or attempted to be obtained by means or by use of a bogus check, the state has failed to make out a case under the provisions of Title 21, § 1541, O.S.1951. In such case the trial court should sustain a demurrer to the information, and failing in this where the allegations of the information and the proof are insufficient a directed verdict should be entered for the defendant. The information herein alleges that “the said Francis Simpson did then and there receive articles of value for the said check, the said articles of value being two hogs worth the value of $63.05”. The state contends that this allegation was sufficient, but we cannot agree. The allegations of the information do not employ words of similar import such as by means or by use of a bogus check, as contended by the state. Ireton v. State, 29 Okl.Cr. 266, 233 P. 771. This charge merely alleges that the hogs were received by Francis Simpson for ' said check; it is not an allegation that the possession was obtained by means or by use of said bogus check (the definitive limits of the statute). There is a distinction in the language of the. statute and the allegations herein employed. Unless the giving of the check is the inducement for the change of possession, no offense has been committed under the bogus check act. Hunter v. State, Okl.Cr., 264 P.2d 997, 999. This information did not so allege, and is therefore insufficient to state an offense under Title 21, § 1541, O.S.1951. The logic of the foregoing reasoning will become apparent when the defendant’s next proposition is considered.

The defendant further contends that the evidence is insufficient to support the charge attempted to be alleged herein. The state relies on the provisions of Title 21, § 1541, O.S.1951, reading in part as follows :

“ * * * as against the maker or drawer thereof, the making, drawing, uttering or delivering of a check, * * payment of which is refused by the drawee, shall be prima facie evidence of intent to defraud and the knowledge of insufficient funds in, or credit with, such bank or other depository; *

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Simpson v. State, 1954 OK CR 28, 267 P.2d 1008, 1954 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 263 (Okla. Ct. App. 1954).

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