State v. Johnson

Following a jury verdict convicting Patricia Merritt Johnson of felony theft, the Missoula County District Court sentenced her to five years in prison with four years suspended and ordered her to pay restitution. Johnson appeals raising one issue; i.e., whether she received the effective assistance of counsel. We affirm the conviction.

In 1981 appellant worked for the Montana State Department of Highways as a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) enforcement officer. She worked at a highway scales station near Missoula, Montana. Generally, the duties of such an employee are to inspect trucks for vehicle…