State v. Fahlk

510 N.W.2d 97, 2 Neb. Ct. App. 421, 1993 Neb. App. LEXIS 489
CourtNebraska Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 28, 1993
DocketA-92-1180
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 510 N.W.2d 97 (State v. Fahlk) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Fahlk, 510 N.W.2d 97, 2 Neb. Ct. App. 421, 1993 Neb. App. LEXIS 489 (Neb. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

Miller-Lerman, Judge.

Philip Fahlk appeals his jury convictions of theft by unlawful taking and of obstructing government operations. For the reasons recited below, we affirm the judgment of the district court for Otoe County.

FACTS

The record reflects that Fahlk was employed as the superintendent of the Nebraska City public schools beginning July 1, 1991. Fahlk found that his immediate duties included the negotiation of teacher contracts for the 1991-92 school year and the preparation of the yearly budget for the Nebraska City public schools. Fahlk testified that when he began his work, there was no computer equipment available to him. Fahlk brought his own Image Writer printer to work with him and borrowed an Apple lie computer from an elementary school. The school district later borrowed computer equipment from an office equipment store for Fahlk’s use, including an Image Writer II printer.

On August 22, 1991, the school district received a shipment of three new ImageWriter II printers intended for use at the *424 senior high school. The printers, valued at $398.90 each, were delivered to the building in which Fahlk’s office was located. Jodi Rathe, an administrative assistant and bookkeeper for the school district, testified that she signed an invoice to acknowledge delivery of the printers. She stated that three large boxes containing the printers were placed in the kitchen area of the superintendent’s building. When she arrived at work the next morning, only two boxes remained.

William Lambrecht, curriculum coordinator for the Nebraska City school system, testified that he arrived for work at the superintendent’s building at 7 a.m. on August 23, 1991, at which time he noticed three computer boxes in the kitchen. He stated that when he returned to the kitchen at 7:20 a.m., he saw only two computer boxes. Lambrecht testified that Fahlk was in the kitchen at that time.

Lambrecht and Rathe conducted a search for the missing printer in the kitchen area. Rathe then inquired among other employees of the building to determine whether anyone had borrowed the printer. Because Fahlk was attending a breakfast meeting at another building, Rathe left a note on Fahlk’s desk explaining the situation with the printer and asking if Fahlk had any knowledge of the printer’s whereabouts. Fahlk returned from the meeting before noon, but he did not respond to the note. Rathe testified that she obtained the serial numbers of the three printers, determined which one was missing, and asked Fahlk if he knew of anyone who might have the printer. Rathe said that Fahlk indicated that he remembered seeing three printers in the kitchen area when he came to work that morning but that he had no knowledge of who might have taken the missing printer.

Rathe stated that when she spoke to Fahlk, she had a piece of paper with the three serial numbers written on it. Rathe explained to Fahlk that she had placed a checkmark next to two of the numbers, while the third number, corresponding to the missing printer, had no checkmark next to it. Fahlk agreed with Rathe’s suggestion to call the police, apparently doing so when Rathe briefly left his office. Rathe testified that after Fahlk left the building to travel to Lincoln, she again reported the theft to the police “[j]ust to check.” According to Rathe, she then *425 discovered that in reporting the theft, Fahlk had given the police a serial number which corresponded to one of the remaining printers. Vickie Rhoades, dispatcher for the Nebraska City Police Department, testified that Fahlk reported a missing printer with the serial number “TF1280337%” but that Rathe later called and reported the correct serial number, “TF1280FN%.” At trial, Fahlk acknowledged that he had reported an incorrect serial number to the police, but stated that Rathe had advised him of the error and that he told her to call the police to give them the correct number.

In any event, shortly after Fahlk’s call to the police, he traveled to Lincoln to deliver the school district’s budget, as required, to the State Department of Education. Also on this date, Fahlk’s daughter, Nicole, a freshman at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, was moving into her dormitory. Fahlk testified that he brought with him to Lincoln his own ImageWriter printer, which he had been using at work, and set it up in his daughter’s room. Fahlk’s daughter testified that Fahlk did not bring a printer to her room on August 23,1991, and that the only times Fahlk brought a printer to her room were in September 1991 and on April 5,1992.

According to Fahlk, his own ImageWriter printer proved to be better suited to the programs he used in his work than was the school district’s ImageWriter II printer. Fahlk testified that on September 18, 1991, he again traveled to Lincoln, installed the school district’s ImageWriter II printer in his daughter’s room, and brought back to his workplace his own ImageWriter printer.

On April 1, 1992, a UN-L police officer searched the dorm room of Fahlk’s daughter and questioned her regarding her computer equipment. The following day, Terry Becker, an investigator for the Nebraska State Patrol, met with Fahlk in Fahlk’s office. Becker stated that he asked Fahlk if Fahlk was aware of three computer printers which had been delivered on August 22, 1991, and that Fahlk had replied that there were multiple equipment deliveries made and that he did not take care of that sort of thing. Fahlk denied to Becker that he had reported a missing printer to the police. Becker testified Fahlk said that his daughter had possession of a printer belonging to *426 the school district and that Fahlk had not gotten permission to take the printer to his daughter because, as superintendent, he did not need permission to do so. Becker stated that Fahlk said that he had exchanged printers with his daughter because the school district’s ImageWriter II printer was not compatible with the software program relating to teacher contract negotiations and that the exchange was not intended to be permanent.

Fahlk notified the board of education of Becker’s visit and informed the members that he would exchange the printers. Fahlk exchanged the printers on April 5, 1992. At trial, Fahlk was unable to explain why the serial number was missing from the ImageWriter II printer after it was returned to the school district.

Becker again visited Fahlk on April 10,1992. Becker testified that Fahlk then acknowledged that he had taken one of the printers delivered on August 22 and produced a signed checkout sheet for the printer. Becker testified that Fahlk said that he had unpacked the printer at his desk and then kept the printer under his desk in his office from August 23 until the switch with his daughter was made on September 18. Becker stated that Fahlk said that he was unaware that a search had been conducted for the missing printer. Becker testified that Fahlk said that when he was questioned by Rathe on August 23 regarding a missing printer, Fahlk had assumed that Rathe was referring to part of a group of equipment that had been stolen from the school district over the course of the summer.

Fahlk testified that he did not produce the signed checkout sheet during his first interview with Becker because Becker did not ask for it.

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Related

State v. Stolen
755 N.W.2d 596 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2008)
Coffey v. Mann
585 N.W.2d 518 (Nebraska Court of Appeals, 1998)
State v. Fahlk
524 N.W.2d 39 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1994)

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Bluebook (online)
510 N.W.2d 97, 2 Neb. Ct. App. 421, 1993 Neb. App. LEXIS 489, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-fahlk-nebctapp-1993.