Tennessee Supreme Court Hears Appeal on Sufficiency of Evidence in Forgery Case

Summary

At a Boys State oral argument, the Tennessee Supreme Court heard competing arguments over whether evidence (five checks, bank records and PayPal activity) was sufficient to sustain forgery convictions; justices questioned admissibility and the standard for reviewing bench-trial findings. The court took the case under submission.

Tennessee Supreme Court justices on the bench at Boys State heard arguments over whether the evidence was sufficient to uphold forgery convictions tied to five checks and related electronic transactions.

At the center of the appeal was whether a judge acting as the fact finder could rationally conclude that the defendant cashed five checks without authorization. Defense attorney E. Kendall White IV said the evidence focused unfairly on character and unconnected transactions, arguing that "I don't understand how PayPal, which is not a forgery crime and has nothing to do with forging, is relevant to this matter, other than the character of the defendant." Prosecutor Davy Douglas told the court, "This court should affirm the judgment of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals because the evidence is sufficient to sustain the defendant's convictions for forgery."

The dispute centers on several lines of evidence introduced at the bench…

Tennessee Supreme Court Hears Appeal on Sufficiency of Evidence in Forgery Case

Summary

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