United States v. Woodcock

35 M.J. 528, 1992 CMR LEXIS 630, 1992 WL 178692
CourtU S Air Force Court of Military Review
DecidedJuly 22, 1992
DocketACM 28529
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 35 M.J. 528 (United States v. Woodcock) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U S Air Force Court of Military Review primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Woodcock, 35 M.J. 528, 1992 CMR LEXIS 630, 1992 WL 178692 (usafctmilrev 1992).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

LEONARD, Senior Judge:

Appellant alleges four errors concerning the propriety of his convictions for Article 123a, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 923a, insufficient funds checks. He asks us to reverse convictions for checks written for a gift, from one checking account for deposit in another checking account, and to satisfy alimony and child support obligations to his ex-wife.1 He also contends that insufficient evidence exists to support his convictions for assault of a child under the age of 16 years. We find merit in only one of appellant’s contentions and set aside his convic[526]*526tion for writing an insufficient funds check for alimony and child support because of incorrect charging of that offense.

I Gift Checks

Facts

Appellant and Elizabeth Dodson met through her son and became friends. She had been sick, unable to work, and experiencing financial problems. As a gift to Ms. Dodson, appellant wrote a check, dated 8 February 1989, payable to her in the amount of $2700 drawn upon an account at the American Express Military Banking Facility, Kunsan, Korea. Ms. Dodson deposited the check in her checking account at the First Interstate Bank on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. First Interstate placed appellant’s check in banking channels and it was returned to them on 15 February 1989, without payment, stamped with the notation “account closed.” On 21 February 1989, First Interstate tried to contact Ms. Dodson without success. Because appellant also had an account with First Interstate, they contacted him instead. Appellant agreed to cover the check and service charges to Ms. Dodson’s account due to the returned check. He did so on 23 February 1989.

Appellant wrote another gift check to Ms. Dodson for $900, on 17 February 1989, drawn on the same closed account in Kunsan, Korea. Ms. Dodson also deposited this check into her account, but First Interstate put a hold on the check and did not give her immediate credit for the $900. This check also came back without payment stamped “account closed.”

Appellant’s testimony confirmed Ms. Dodson’s testimony that he wrote both checks as a gift to help her with financial problems. He admitted that he knew when he gave her the checks that he did not have any money in his account at the American Express Banking Facility, Kunsan, Korea. He also admitted that by giving her the checks he misrepresented to her there would be money in the account to cover the checks. However, he denied any wrongful intent or any imposition of hardship upon Ms. Dodson.

The government charged both checks written to Ms. Dodson as violations of Article 123a, UCMJ. The specifications alleged appellant, “with the intent to deceive and for the purpose of giving a gift or for some other purpose,” wrongfully and unlawfully made and uttered the checks to Ms. Dodson knowing he did not have sufficient funds for payment upon presentment. Court members convicted appellant of both offenses.

Analysis and Law

Appellant contends that the “for any other purpose” clause of Article 123a should not include writing checks for gifts. According to his analysis of provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code and Nevada statute,2 gifts are not effective until actual delivery or transfer of property, and checks do not constitute delivery but only a promise of future delivery. Therefore, he argues that gift checks are not enforceable and appellant was not required to maintain any balance in his account to cover an unenforceable check. We disagree with this analysis.

Article 123a provides for criminal punishment of military members who make, draw, or utter checks without sufficient funds. Such unlawful making, drawing, or uttering of checks may be “for the procurement of any article or thing of value, with intent to defraud.” Article 123a(l). Or, bad checks may be “for the payment of any past due obligation, or for any other purpose, with intent to deceive.” Article 123a(2).

Case law limits the extent of the term “for any other purpose.” Insufficient funds checks written for obligations arising from legal or illegal gambling are not punishable under the UCMJ. United States v. Wallace, 15 U.S.C.M.A. 650, 36 C.M.R. 148 (1966); MCM, App. 21, paragraph 49c, A21-96.1 (1984). The Wallace Court based its opinion on the concept that gambling is [527]*527against public policy and courts should not support the enforcement of obligations against public policy. 36 C.M.R. at 150. The Court held that the offices of criminal justice should not extend to taking of punitive measures for nonpayment of gambling obligations. Wallace, 36 C.M.R. at 151.

We elect not to extend the rationale of Wallace to appellant’s case. A thorough search of military cases reveals no court refusing to uphold a conviction for an insufficient funds gift check. State courts considering the issue are split depending on their interpretation of their state’s bad check statute. Two courts have noted that the American Law Institute Model Penal Code criminalizes bad checks written as gifts. See Commonwealth v. Burruss, 380 Pa.Super. 272, 551 A.2d 580 (1988); Vermont v. Foley, 140 Vt. 643, 443 A.2d 452 (1982). Another court, construing a Virginia statute, found that statute did not criminalize insufficient funds gift checks. Sylvestre v. Commonwealth, 10 Va.App. 253, 391 S.E.2d 336 (1990).

The majority view of the States adopting the Model Penal Code apparently supports criminalizing gift bad cheeks. See Burruss, 551 A.2d at 583-584 n. 3; see also American Law Institute, Model Penal Code and Commentaries, Part II, § 224.5, at 316 (1980). According to the Burruss Court, the negotiable aspect of gift checks provides the rationale for treating insufficient funds gift checks as criminal offenses. We agree.

Regardless of the original purpose or legal enforceability of a gift check in a civil suit, once the payee acquires possession of it, the check becomes a negotiable instrument. The payee will normally indorse the check and put it into commercial channels. In return, the payee may receive bank credit, goods, or services for the check. Persons or commercial enterprises receiving the check from the payee will rely upon the validity of the check in extending bank credit or providing goods and services to the payee. The resulting damage from a bad gift check can leave the same trail of victims as a check negotiated directly for goods, services, or obligations. The facts of this case illustrate this negotiable aspect of gift checks. Ms. Dodson took the first check to her bank, indorsed it to the bank, and obtained bank credit for it. She then wrote checks on her account relying on the validity of appellant’s check. A number of her checks were dishonored when appellant’s check failed to clear. Despite appellant’s quick action in making good on the check, Ms. Dodson and her bank experienced significant inconvenience in rectifying the situation.

Unlike checks written for gambling debts, we find no public policy reason against criminalizing insufficient funds checks written as gifts.

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Related

United States v. Woodcock
39 M.J. 104 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1994)

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Bluebook (online)
35 M.J. 528, 1992 CMR LEXIS 630, 1992 WL 178692, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-woodcock-usafctmilrev-1992.