Opinion ID: 2212403
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: whether sufficient evidence existed to support warren's conviction of grand theft by transfer.

Text: In determining the sufficiency of the evidence on appeal, the question presented is whether there is evidence in the record, which, if believed by the jury, is sufficient to sustain a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.... In making this determination, the Court will accept that evidence, and the most favorable inferences fairly drawn therefrom, which will support the verdict. State v. Miller, 429 N.W.2d 26, 38 (S.D.1988) (citations omitted). See also State v. Jenner, 451 N.W.2d 710 (S.D. 1990). Warren was convicted of three counts of grand theft by transfer in violation of SDCL 22-30A-2 [6] and SDCL 22-30A-17 (grand theft and petty theft distinguished). Warren contends that she could not have been convicted of this crime because there was essentially no transfer by her. She contends that any transfer which had been made was actually made by Hess. She points out that she was not convicted of the forgery counts of the indictment, thus supporting her position that Hess voluntarily signed all the checks and transferred the money to her (rather than that she had forged the checks, thereby transferring the money to herself). [7] Warren essentially concedes that she received these amounts of money but asserts that they were gifts from Hess. With respect to Count X, a check written by Warren and signed by Hess for $1,300 in April, 1986, Warren admitted to previously receiving $700 for rent at the first of the month. She testified that she was given the extra $1,300 so that she could hire extra help in order to care for Hess. On cross-examination, she had difficulty remembering who she hired and had no recall of what she paid. With respect to Count XI, a CD in the amount of $20,000 was originally in Hess' name alone, but was changed approximately one year later, to include Warren as co-owner. An employee at the bank where the CD was purchased testified that she made the actual transfer of ownership of the CD but does not recall ever witnessing Hess endorse or initial it for approval of transfer. She also testified that the endorsement by Hess was not necessary for a transfer of ownership but is necessary only to cash it. (This is one of the same CD's Warren refused to turn over to attorney Donn Bennett.) Count XII dealt with a $2,000 check drawn on Hess' account on May 1, 1986, for rent. State's evidence indicates that at this time Warren's own checking account contained a minimum balance or was overdrawn. This check was also in her handwriting, but bore Hess' signature. Theft by transfer has never been interpreted by this court concerning the element transfer. We reject both Warren's and State's reliance on the U.C.C. for a definition of that term. In a similar vein, we do not use the definition in the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act found at SDCL 54-8A-1(12). SDCL 2-14-1 provides that: Words used are to be understood in their ordinary sense except also that words defined or explained in SDCL 2-14-2 are to be understood as thus defined or explained. Transfer is a word of conveyance. Bensinger v. Scott, 625 P.2d 775, 777 (Wyo.1981). Transfer means to convey or remove from one place, person, etc., to another; pass or hand over from one to another; specifically, to change over the possession or control of (as, to transfer title to land). To sell or give. Black's Law Dictionary 1342 (5th Edition 1979). See also Chappell v. State, 216 Ind. 666, 25 N.E.2d 999, 1001 (1940). The word convey, when applied to the disposition of personal property, has the signification of transfer, and means the passing of title and dominion from one person to another. Lippman v. State, 104 Ala. 61, 16 So. 130 (1894). Cf. Bailey v. State, 450 A.2d 400, 402-03 (Del.Supr.1982) (the physical delivery of a check when the defendant knew that the payee's endorsement was forged by a third person was sufficient under forgery statute to constitute transferring the instrument where, defendant requested liquor store clerk to cash check but when clerk handed the check back to the defendant refusing to cash it). Although it is clear that Warren received the funds from the checks and became co-owner of the CD, the record is totally devoid of any evidence that she transferred anything. In fact, as noted earlier, the jury rejected all of State's claims that she had committed any forgeries. Her conduct may have been immoral and unthinkable and, in some states, criminal. However, given our legislative language, her conduct was not, offensive as it may seem, theft by transfer.