Taylor v. State

BLEIL, Justice.

An appeal is taken from a conviction of forgery by altering a writing. Punishment, enhanced by a prior felony conviction, was set at 10 years confinement.

Can a conviction for forgery by altering a writing be upheld based solely on evidence that the defendant possessed and passed the document? We hold that it cannot and reverse the trial court’s judgment.

Edward Lewis Taylor was riding as a passenger in a car which drove to a convenience store in Jefferson, Texas, on April 6, 1980. While the driver of the car put gas in the tank, Edward Taylor went inside and bought a pecan pie…