Opinion ID: 341674
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Sufficiency of Evidence State Issued Checks.

Text: 15 We, however, reluctantly overturn the conviction relating to other counts in the indictment (counts 1, 4, 5, 6, 7). In these counts the Government charged Reece only with possession of stolen mail matter; that is, possession of four checks issued October 1, 1974, and one check issued August 1, 1974, by the Auditor of the State of Arkansas to various payees in Little Rock, in amounts varying from $15 to $132. The prosecution relied on statements of the recipients that these checks had not been received in the mail. The following is a typical example of the Government's proof relative to the mailing: 16 Q. The document that I am referring to is dated August 1, 1974 in the amount of a hundred and ten dollars. I ask you to look at the back. Does that contain did you sign that? 17
18 Q. Could you tell the jury how you received these checks? At the time would somebody deliver them to you? 19 A. Yeah. The postmaster would. 20 Q. They would come through the United States mail? 21 A. Right. 22 The Government may prove mail theft by showing the article in question had been properly mailed, but never received by the addressee. The proof of such facts permits a reasonable inference of theft from the mails. See Blue v. United States, supra, 528 F.2d at 894, n. 2, and cases cited therein. The fact of mailing may be established by means other than direct proof of such mailing; that is, by circumstantial evidence of mailing. See Blue v. United States, supra, 528 F.2d 892. 23 Here, the Government rested its proof of the mailing of the Arkansas checks on conclusionary statements by witnesses that each expected a particular check to be delivered by mail. The witnesses were all payees of the government checks, however, and had no personal knowledge of whether the state-issued checks involved in the indictment had in fact been mailed. Thus, there was a complete failure of proof by either circumstantial or direct evidence that the state checks here in question had been placed in the mail. Because of this failure of proof, we must reverse the convictions on counts 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7. 1 Our overruling of the conviction on counts 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7, of course, does not affect the sentence in any way. We affirm the judgment of conviction on counts 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, and 11. 24 Affirmed in part and reversed in part.