Court Opinion

ID: 9632863
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 11:26:21.318667+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:00:27.797678
License: Public Domain

John B. Robbins, Judge, dissenting. I respectfully dissent. The majority has reversed the trial court’s decision on the basis that the State failed to prove that the check was a forged instrument. Ms. Bedford has not advanced this argument on appeal, and in order to reach its decision the majority has acted as appellant’s advocate. It is a familiar rule of practice that an appellate court does not reverse on a ground not argued by the appellant. Houston v. State, 82 Ark. App. 556, 120 S.W.3d 115 (2003). This rule is applicable even in cases that are heard de novo on appeal, see Cummings v. Boyles, 242 Ark. 923, 415 S.W.2d 571 (1967), and has even been applied in the context of Rule 37.5 appeals following cases where the death penalty has been pronounced. See, e.g., Echols v. State, 344 Ark. 513, 42 S.W.3d 467 (2001). In challenging the State’s proof of a forgery on appeal, Ms. Bedford cites Mayes v. State, 264 Ark. 283, 571 S.W.2d 420 (1978), where the supreme court held that possession of a forged instrument by one who offers or seeks to utter it without any reasonable explanation of the manner in which he acquired it warrants an inference that the possessor committed the forgery or was a guilty accessory to its commission. In Mayes, the supreme court found substantial evidence to support the appellant’s forgery conviction where appellant was not named as payee on the check he attempted to pass at a department store, and the appellant left the store while the cashier took the check to the store manager for inspection. In her brief, Ms. Bedford attempts to distinguish this case from Mayes, arguing: In the Mayes case, the individual left the grocery store before the clerk could verify whether or not the grocery store would accept the check. In this case, the evidence presented to the Court not only included the Appellant remaining for the entire transaction, but that she presented her proper information to the clerk. Additionally, her testimony included facts concerning the drawer of the instmment. These factors clearly set forth a reasonable explanation for the Appellant’s actions. In her brief appellant does not dispute the fact that the check is a forged instrument, but rather asserts that she gave a reasonable and innocent explanation for possessing it. Ms. Bedford makes no claim whatever that the State failed to prove that the check was issued or presented for payment after the date the account was closed, as so found by the majority. In my view, the issue raised and pertinent inquiry in this appeal is whether Ms. Bedford acted with the intent to defraud. Although the evidence of Ms. Bedford’s intent to defraud might not have supported a criminal conviction, I would hold that it was sufficient to support the trial court’s determination that the State established a forgery by the preponderance of the evidence. While Ms. Bedford explained that she earned the check and did not know the account was closed, the reasonableness and sufficiency of appellant’s explanation was a matter to be determined by the factfinder, and the trial court had the right to accept or reject the testimony. See Faulkner v. State, 16 Ark. App. 128, 697 S.W.2d 537 (1985). The trial court obviously did not find Ms. Bedford’s explanation credible. There was testimony by Mr. Avan that Ms. Bedford had committed prior forgeries at the same store, causing her to be banned. There was also evidence that, on a subsequent occasion, Ms. Bedford attempted to cash a check at Big Star and upon inquiry by the assistant manager she left the store without allowing Mr. Avan to see the check. Intent can seldom be proved by direct evidence and must be inferred from facts and circumstances. Johnson v. State, 5 Ark. App. 78, 638 S.W.2d 686 (1982). The trial court described Ms. Bedford as a “career check passer” and believed this to be another attempt to fraudulently obtain money, and I cannot say its finding that she committed forgery was clearly against the preponderance of the evidence. Therefore, I would affirm the revocation of appellant’s suspended sentence. Pittman, C.J., Crabtree, and Roaf, JJ., join in this dissent.