State v. Graves

Defendant appeals his conviction of possession of a stolen vehicle in violation of U.C.A., 1953, § 41-1-112.

The sole point raised on appeal is insufficiency of the evidence to prove that defendant knew or had reason to believe the property was stolen. He admitted that the vehicle he possessed and was driving when arrested was stolen. His defense is that the prosecution did not prove that he knew it was stolen.

Defendant did not offer any explanation to the arresting officer or at the trial that he did not know this important fact. Such failure to explain his possession raises an inference that…