People v. Campbell

Much confusion is generated in our criminal proceedings, all too often, by efforts to relate the production or nonproduction of stolen property to the best evidence rule. The issue in such eases is whether a larceny can *809be proved without bringing in either the physical object which was stolen or some writing that shows who owns it. To put it another way, the point is often made that the stolen object or some tag or memorandum attached or affixed to it constitutes the best evidence of the larceny.

No New York decision has been found on this precise issue. This is the reason for the explanation…