State v. Murinko

Following a jury trial, Phillip Murinko was convicted of burglary in the second degree, petit theft and forgery. These charges arose from an unlawful entry into a closed motor vehicle, the stealing of traveler’s checks from the vehicle, and the subsequent forgery of one of the stolen checks. On appeal Murinko contends that the district court erred (1) by admitting into evidence a transcript of an incriminating statement made to the police after he was arrested, and (2) by ordering him during the trial to bare his arms while a witness testified about some tattoos. For reasons stated below, we…