Opinion ID: 1995928
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Bootlegging Charge.

Text: Section 123.59 provides: Any person who, acting individually, or through another acting for the person, keeps or carries on the person, or in a vehicle, or leaves in a place for another to secure, any alcoholic liquor, wine, or beer, with intent to sell or dispense the liquor, wine, or beer, by gift or otherwise in violation of the law, or who, within this state, in any manner, directly or indirectly, solicits, takes, or accepts an order for the purchase, sale, shipment, or delivery of alcoholic liquor, wine, or beer in violation of law, or aids in the delivery and distribution of alcoholic liquor, wine, or beer so ordered or shipped, or who in any manner procures for, sells, or gives alcoholic liquor, wine, or beer to a person under legal age, for any purpose except as authorized and permitted in this chapter, is a bootlegger and subject to the general penalties provided by this chapter. Bootlegging was instructed under three alternative means of commission, as provided by section 123.59: (1) keeping with intent to sell or dispense beer by gift or otherwise in violation of the law; or (2) directly or indirectly soliciting, taking, or accepting orders for the purchase, sale, shipment, or delivery of beer in violation of the law; or (3) aiding in the delivery of beer to a person under the legal age. The jury returned a general verdict of guilty on the bootlegging charge without identifying the alternatives on which the jury relied. The State concedes it had presented no evidence of furnishing beer to underage drinkers, so that alternative had no support in the record. The remaining means of committing bootlegging require proof that the defendant sold or otherwise delivered the beer in violation of the law. For reasons discussed later, the State's proof failed to establish a sale or gift in violation of the law.