Casten v. United States
Casten v. United States
Opinion of the Court
Casten and Robinson were partners in the knitting business. With bankruptcy impending, Robinson concealed goods of the firm and, after bankruptcy, continued to conceal them from his trustee, resulting in an indictment under section 29b of the Bankruptcy Act (Comp. St. § 9613). He pleaded guilty. Later, Casten was indicted under the same statute for a like offense arising out of the same transaction. He went to trial and, mainly on the testimony of Robinson, was convicted and sentenced. On this writ he complains that the court erred in its charge with reference to his knowledge of what admittedly Robinson had done, and that it erred in submitting the case and sustaining the conviction on the uncorroborated testimony of an accomplice and on the testimony of one who had on another occasion testified falsely.
The story of the- case is substantially as follows:
Being in difficulties, the firm had offered a settlement to their creditors. While the matter was pending, Casten stated to Robinson that there were too many goods about the place for the creditors to see and, accordingly, they together arranged to remove them to a warehouse before the creditors should arrive. In the presence of Casten, Robinson removed the goods (of a value of about $2,000) to a warehouse where they remained concealed until after an involuntary petition in bankruptcy had been filed against the partners. Having represented to the trustee that all their assets had been turned over to him, Casten told Robinson to dispose of the goods. Robinson moved them from the warehouse to the plant of the United Knitting Mills for the purpose of' selling them at the price of $1,400. Discovery was made and the indictments followed.
By the concluding assignment of error Casten charges that the court submitted the case solely on an issue of his guilty knowledge of what Robinson was doing when he concealed the goods and not on the issue whether he himself concealed them or participated in their concealment. If the jury believed Robinson’s testimony, as they had a right to do, they could validly find not merely that Casten knew what Robinson was doing but that Casten counseled him and therefore acted with him, first, in removing and concealing the goods before bankruptcy; next, in continuing their concealment after bankruptcy; and finally in an attempt to dispose of them by sale.
Finding no errors in the record, we direct that the judgment below be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CASTEN v. UNITED STATES
- Status
- Published