Task: songer_typeiss

What follows is an opinion from a United States Court of Appeals.
Your task is to determine the general category of issues discussed in the opinion of the court. Choose among the following categories. Criminal and prisioner petitions- includes appeals of conviction, petitions for post conviction relief, habeas corpus petitions, and other prisoner petitions which challenge the validity of the conviction or the sentence or the validity of continued confinement. Civil - Government - these will include appeals from administrative agencies (e.g., OSHA,FDA), the decisions of administrative law judges, or the decisions of independent regulatory agencies (e.g., NLRB, FCC,SEC). The focus in administrative law is usually on procedural principles that apply to administrative agencies as they affect private interests, primarily through rulemaking and adjudication. Tort actions against the government, including petitions by prisoners which challenge the conditions of their confinement or which seek damages for torts committed by prion officials or by police fit in this category. In addition, this category will include suits over taxes and claims for benefits from government. Diversity of Citizenship - civil cases involving disputes between citizens of different states (remember that businesses have state citizenship). These cases will always involve the application of state or local law. If the case is centrally concerned with the application or interpretation of federal law then it is not a diversity case. Civil Disputes - Private - includes all civil cases that do not fit in any of the above categories. The opposing litigants will be individuals, businesses or groups.

PER CURIAM.
Defendant was convicted for forging a check issued by the Washington Terminal Company of Washington, D. C. After examining the evidence we believe that the court should have directed a verdict of not guilty at the close of the case.
The only direct testimony on the alleged forgery by the defendant is that of a handwriting expert who admitted there were many dissimilarities between the defendant’s handwriting and the endorsement on the check. The expert said that but for the single letter “J” in “Jack” on the check he would not have been there to testify.
To support this inconclusive handwriting testimony the prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence, all of which was based on very doubtful inferences. It showed (1) that the defendant was one of a number of persons who might have stolen the check from the Washington Terminal Company; (2) that he was one of a number of persons who might have cashed it; (3) that defendant’s wife was seriously ill and he needed money badly; (4) that after his wife’s death he left Washington for his sister’s home in Cincinnati, later going to Colorado, notifying both his draft board and the post office of his change of address.
His necessitous circumstances were relied on as showing motive. In spite of the fact that there is no evidence that he knew he was even suspected of the crime when he left, his departure to visit his sister was used before the jury to show consciousness of guilt.
While we do not assert that handwriting testimony by itself may not in some cases be sufficient to sustain a conviction of forgery, we think that the record in this case throws too much doubt on defendant’s guilt to sustain a verdict.
Reverse4 and remanded.

Question: What is the general category of issues discussed in the opinion of the court?
A. criminal and prisoner petitions
B. civil - government
C. diversity of citizenship
D. civil - private
E. other, not applicable
F. not ascertained
Answer:

Answer: A