Court Opinion

ID: 9528848
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:44:44.53012+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:27:24.324697
License: Public Domain

STEVENS, Chief Judge
(specially concurring) .
Larue cited by the majority holds that “uttering” and “publishing” are synonymous. To my mind to utter is to pass and to publish is to declare or to represent. In my opinion, a person may publish a deed *280and still retain complete physical control thereof, as for example, he could exhibit the forged deed to another representing the same to be a valid deed and thereby induce the other to part with funds on the strength of this representation or publication. In the case we have under consideration the State’s evidence indicated that the defendant retained control of the deed when he surrendered temporary physical possession to the notary public much as a person would retain control if he delivered a document to an agent for safekeeping. On the other hand, to further the fraudulent scheme and to complete the appearance of authenticity, he needed the signature and seal of a notary. To accomplish this end he declared to her, he represented to her, he “published” to her that the signature thereon was true and genuine. In fact he practiced a fraud upon her. While it is true that financial injury to a person to whom a deed is published need not be proven, in the situation which we have under consideration the defendant did .participate in creating a potential liability on the part of the notary arising out of her act of notarization.
The statute is in the disjunctive. This slight disagreement with the majority and the respectable authority cited by the majority does not in any way affect the soundness of the majority opinion. I concur in the majority opinion subject only to my expression relative to the above distinction.
NOTE: Judge FRANCIS J. DONOFRIO having requested that he be relieved from consideration of this matter, Judge J. THOMAS BROOKS was called to sit in his stead and participate in the determination of this decision.