Lawrence v. State

OPINION

BOLGER, Judge.

Beth K. Lawrence stole a purse that contained two "access devices" as defined in AS 11.81.900(b)(1)-a debit card and a social security card. Although she was not charged with stealing the purse itself, she was charged with two counts of theft in the see-ond degree for stealing the access devices. A jury convicted her of both counts.

On appeal, Lawrence claims that the superior court erred when it instructed the jury that, when the object of a theft is a container (in this case, a purse), the thief need not know in advance the contents of the container, and the jury may,…