State v. Chryst

TODD, Justice.

Defendants are being prosecuted in district court on charges of felony theft by swindle for fraudulently selling motor vehicles after altering the odometer readings on those vehicles. Minn.Stat. § 609.52, subd. 2(4) (1980). The trial court denied defendant’s motion to dismiss but, acting pursuant to Minn.R.Crim.P. 29.02, subd. 4, certified the matter to this court as raising an important and doubtful question of law. The certified question is whether the prosecutor had authority to charge defendants under the theft statute notwithstanding the fact that the legislature has…