State v. Hobl
State v. Hobl
Opinion of the Court
The defendant appeals from a judgment of conviction on the second count of an amended information charging that:
“The said Joe Hobl after altering the said check set out in count one, which by reference is made a part of this count, the said Joe Hobl after altering said check by adding to the figure 6 a naught and adding to the word six the letters t and y and make the same read sixty dollars when the said check had originally been drawn for only six dollars, the said Joe Hobl did then and there present and deliver the same to the said Collyer State Bank and falsely and fraudulently with intent to cheat and defraud said Art Richardson by said acts the said Joe Hobl did thereby falsely and fraudulently obtain from said bank the sum of fifty-four dollars.”
“Second and for another further count against the said defendant said Joe Hobl did in the county of Trego and state of Kansas on the 10th day of September, 1919, after altering said check as alleged in count one by altering said check by raising the same from six dollars to sixty dollars by adding to the figure 6 on said check a naught and adding to the word six .on said check the letters t and y and make the same read sixty dollars when the said check had been originally only for six dollars, the said Joe Hobl did then and there present and deliver the same to the said Collyer State Bank and falsely and fraudulently by said acts and conduct and representations obtain from said bank the sum of fifty-four dollars.”
The amended information was filed before trial, but after the defendant had pleaded not guilty to the original information. He contends that the second count of the amended information charged an entirely new offense, one of a higher degree than that contained in the second count of the original information.
An examination of the two informations reveals that the second count of the amended information was in the same language as the second count of the original one except the words “with intent to cheat and defraud said Art Richardson” were added. Art Richardson was the person who gave the check. The defendant urges that the second count of the
Section 3467 so far as it is material to the present discussion reads:
“Every person who, with intent to cheat or defraud another, shall, designedly, by means of any false token or writing, or by any other false pretense, obtain . . . any money . . . shall be punished,” etc.
Section 3502 in part reads:
“Every person who shall forge . . . First, any . . . check . . . being or purporting to be made or issued by any bank incorporated under the laws of . . . this state . . . ; second, any . . . check being or purporting to be drawn on any such incorporated bank, ... by any other person, . . . shall upon conviction be adjudged guilty of forgery in the second degree.”
Section 3515 reads:
“Every person who, with intent to defraud, shall pass, utter or publish, or offer or attempt to pass, utter, or publish as true, any forged, counterfeited or falsely uttered instrument or writing, or any counterfeit or any imitation of any gold or silver coin, the altering, forging or counterfeiting of which is hereinbefore declared to be an offense, knowing such instrument, writing or coin to be altered, forged or counterfeited, shall upon conviction be adjudged guilty of forgery in the same degree hereinbefore declared for the forging, altering or counterfeiting the instrument, writing or coin so passed, uttered or published, or offered or attempted to be passed, uttered or published.”
The second count of the amended information charged that the check was drawn on the Collyer State Bank; that it was altered with intent to cheat and defraud Art Richardson; that the defendant presented and delivered the check to the bank; and that he obtained from the bank $54 on the check. Those allegations brought within section 3515 the offense charged. The second count of the original information attempted to charge the defendant with forgery; the corresponding count of the amended information charged him with the same offense. It cannot be said that the amendment was in a matter of form only; it was in a matter of substance; but, “by leave of court an information may be amended in matter of substance as well as of form after a plea of not guilty has been entered and be
Section 121 of the code of criminal procedure reads:
“Upon an indictment for an offense consisting of different degrees, the jury may find the defendant not guilty of the degree charged in the indictment, and guilty of any degree inferior thereto, or of an attempt to commit the offense.”
Under this section a person who is tried for murder in the first degree may be convicted of murder in the second degree, or of any degree of manslaughter. (The State v. Reddick, 7 Kan. 143.) Arson in the first degree, under section 3417 of the General Statutes of 1915, may include arson in the third degree under section 3423. One charged with robbery may be convicted of larceny from the person. (The State v. Pickering, 57 Kan. 326, 46 Pac. 314; The State v. Dunn, 66 Kan. 483, 485, 71 Pac. 811; The State v. Miller, 71 Kan. 491, 80 Pac. 947.) One charged with larceny of goods over the value of $20, grand larceny, may be convicted of stealing goods under the value of $20, petit larceny. One charged with burglary in the first degree under section 3429 of the General Statutes of 1915, may be convicted of burglary in the second degree under section 3431. (The State v. Behee, 17 Kan. 402, 405.) But, one charged with burglary in the nighttime under section 3431, cannot be convicted of burglary in the daytime under section 3437. (The State v. Behee, 17 Kan. 402; The State v. Adams, 20 Kan. 311, 328.) One charged with arson under section 3417 cannot be convicted of arson under sections. 3419, 3422, or 3426. (The State v. Nolan, 48 Kan. 723, 727, 29 Pac. 568, 30 Pac. 486.) Although closely related, larceny and receiving stolen property are different offenses. {The State v. Fields, 70 Kan. 391, 78 Pac. 833.)
Does a charge of forgery under section 3515 of the General Statutes of 1915 include a charge of obtaining money by false pretenses under section 3467? Forgery under section 3515
The first count charged the defendant with forging the check. He received it from Art Richardson and cashed it an hour or two afterward. There was no evidence to show that any other person had it or saw it, after the defendant received it, until he presented it to the bank for payment. The jury may not have been satisfied that the defendant altered the check, but may have been satisfied that he knew that it had been altered when he presented it for payment. The defendant talked to at least one other person during the time that he had the check. There was latitude, therefore, in the evidence for the jury to find the defendant not guilty on the first count and guilty on the second.
“By Mr. Long: The defendant objects to any statement being made by the county attorney to the effect that the deposition of E. V. Williams has not been signed and making any comments on that question for the reason that the county attorney, in open court, has waived the signature to that deposition and I ask the Court to instruct the jury to disregard any such remark.
“By the Court: I think myself, that a reference to the waiver might be omitted, but I suppose the evidence can be attacked the same as any other evidence.
“By Mr. Long:' Yes, sir; as evidence, but not to the fact that he didn’t sign it.
“By the Court: It should be treated the same as if the signature was attached.
“By Mr. Parsons: It says that the deposition shall be in writing and it is agreed by Mr. Long that it shall be taken by some disinterested person and subscribed by the witness.
“By Mr. Long: You could have had it signed if you had wanted it, but you waived it. We stand upon our objection.
“By the Court: We will sustain the objection to the signature only.”
If it was improper for the county attorney to refer to the fact that the deposition was'not signed, the error, if there was any, was cured by the remarks of the court. No request was made that the jury be admonished or instructed concerning the remarks of counsel. (Ohlson v. Power Co., 105 Kan. 252, 182 Pac. 393.)
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- The State of Kansas v. Joe Hobl
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- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. 1. Criminal Law — Amendment of Information Before Trial. In a criminal action, before the commencement of the trial, an information may be amended in a matter of substance, after the defendant has pleaded not guilty. 2. Same — Preliminary Examination — Findings of Justice of Peace— Included Forgery. Where a justice of the peace on a preliminary examination finds that the “offenses of forgery and of obtaining money by false pretenses, as charged in the complaint and warrant has been committed, and that there is probable cause to believe the defendant guilty of their commission,” the county attorney may file an information charging the defendant with forgery. 3. Same — Plea in Abatement — Claim of Defective Record of Preliminary Examination not Sustained. In a criminal action, on the trial of a plea in abatement alleging that the defendant had not had any preliminary examination, it is not error to refuse to admit evidence tending to show that some days after the preliminary examination had been held there was no record of that examination on the docket of the justice of the peace, if the complaint and warrant on which the preliminary examination was held and a transcript of the proceedings before the justice of the peace are on file in the district court. 4. Same — In such a case it is not error to overrule a plea in abatement. 5. Same — Forgery—Uttering and Passing Forged Paper — Sufficiency of Information. An information drawn under section 3515 of the General Statutes of 1915 is not fatally defective because it does not allege that the forged instrument was passed, uttered or published as true, where the information contains substantially those allegations. 6. Same — Refusal of Instructions — Not Error. It is not error to refuse to give instructions requested where they concern an offense that is not charged in the information on which the defendant is being tried. 7. Same — Information—Forgery—Obtaining Money Under False Pretenses. An information charging forgery under section 3515 of the General Statutes of 1915 does not necessarily charge obtaining money under false pretenses under section 3467. 8. Same — Failure to Instruct as to Meaning of “Pass,” “Utter,” “Publish” — Not Error. On a trial of one charged with forgery under section 3515 of the General Statutes of 1915, it is not reversible error for the court to fail to instruct the jury concerning the meaning of the words, “pass,” “utter,” and “publish” as used in that statute, if the defendant does not ask for any instruction on that subject. 9. Same — Motion for New Trial — Remarks of Juror in Jury Room — Incompetent Evidence. On a hearing of a motion for a new trial it is not error to reject evidence tending to show that one of the jurors had stated facts in the jury room, in connection with matters eon- - cerning which evidence had been introduced, where the facts were so foreign to the issues that they could not have had any effect on the minds of the jurors in reaching a verdict. 10. Same — Forgery—Verdicts not Inconsistent. A verdict of not guilty on a count of an information charging the forging of a check on a bank under section 3502 of the General Statutes of 1915, is not inconsistent with a verdict of guilty under another count of the information charging that the instrument was passed, uttered and published in violation of section 3515. 11. Same — Improper Conduct of Juror — Not Presented to Trial Court— Not Reviewable on Appeal. An affidavit showing improper conduct on the part of the jury, filed after the motion for a new trial had been denied, and never presented to the trial court, cannot be considered on appeal. 12. Same — Improper Argument of County Attorney — No Reversible Error. Improper argument to the jury by the county attorney is not sufficient cause for reversing the judgment where on the objection of the defendant the court states that the objection to the argument is sustained, but no request is made that the jury be admonished concerning' the argument.