Opinion ID: 2023392
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: meaning of affect

Text: In its second assignment of error, the State contends that the district court erred in its interpretation of the word affect in the second sentence of § 28-618(7). In its order, the district court held that since the definition [of financial transaction device] requires the device to `affect' an account, the plain meaning of the wording may make the possession or circulation unlawful only when the device is actually used. In other words, the district court interpreted the word affect in § 28-618(7) to mean use and then concluded that Rhea could not have criminally possessed or circulated financial transaction devices, since the possession and circulation of such devices does not involve their use. The components of a series or collection of statutes pertaining to a certain subject matter may be conjunctively considered and construed to determine the intent of the Legislature so that different provisions of the act are consistent, harmonious, and sensible. In re Estate of Eickmeyer, 262 Neb. 17, 628 N.W.2d 246 (2001); In re Estate of Sutherlin, 261 Neb. 297, 622 N.W.2d 657 (2001). The unauthorized use of a financial transaction device is proscribed by Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-620 (Reissue 1995). Criminal possession of a financial transaction device is proscribed by § 28-621, and the unlawful circulation of a financial transaction device is proscribed by § 28-622. The phrase shall affect the financial interest, standing, or obligation of [a] financial account in § 28-618(7) is part of the definition of financial transaction device, and that definition applies to all of the aforementioned penal statutes. The construction given to § 28-618(7) by the district court, which requires actual use in order to meet the definition of a financial transaction device, would render the unlawful-use proscription of § 28-620 redundant and would be inconsistent with §§ 28-621(1) and 28-622(1), which criminalize possession and circulation of lost, stolen, forged, altered, or counterfeited financial transaction devices under certain circumstances without requiring their actual use. Based upon our independent review, we conclude that the final sentence of § 28-618(7) requires that for purposes of Neb.Rev.Stat. §§ 28-618 to 28-630 (Reissue 1995 & Cum.Supp.2000), a financial transaction device must be something which is capable of being used to execute a transaction in a financial account. In the instant case, there is evidence that the account numbers reflected on the statements which Rhea removed from the premises of FDR could be and in fact were used to purchase merchandise which was billed to such accounts.