State v. Beale

WEATHERBEE, Justice.

The Defendant, who operates an antique shop in Hallowell, was convicted under 17 M.R.S.A. § 3551 of the offense of knowingly concealing stolen property. His appeal presents us for the first time with the opportunity to construe the phrase “knowing it to be stolen” found in this statute.

One Saturday during the summer of 1971, when the Defendant was absent and his store was in Mrs. Beale’s care, a prospective customer, a Mrs. Johnson, noticed that some of the displayed merchandise looked familiar. On examining it further she became convinced that several items were in fact…