State v. Blake

Defendant appeals his convictions on five counts of forgery in the first degree. ORS 165.013. He contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a judgment of acquittal. The question is whether a person commits forgery by signing his own name to a traveler’s check issued to a different maker and, with intent to defraud, tendering the check for payment. We conclude that he does not and, therefore, reverse.

Defendant entered the Check Exchange with five stolen traveler’s checks signed on the exemplar line by James L. Dayton, the maker. In front of the clerk, defendant countersigned…