State v. Mason

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NOTICE: THIS DECISION DOES NOT CREATE LEGAL PRECEDENT AND MAY NOT BE CITED EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED BY APPLICABLE RULES. See Ariz. R. Supreme Court 111(c); ARCAP 28(c); Ariz. R. Crim. P. 31.24 IN THE COURT OF APPEALS STATE OF ARIZONA DIVISION ONE STATE OF ARIZONA, ) ) Appellee, ) ) v. ) ) JAMES IRVIN MASON, ) ) Appellant. ) ) ) __________________________________) DIVISION ONE FILED: 02/01/2011 RUTH WILLINGHAM, ACTING CLERK BY: GH No. 1 CA-CR 10-0355 DEPARTMENT E MEMORANDUM DECISION (Not for Publication Rule 111, Rules of the Arizona Supreme Court) Appeal from the Superior Court in Maricopa County Cause No. CR2007-166312-001-SE The Honorable Connie Contes, Judge AFFIRMED Thomas C. Horne, Attorney General By Kent E. Cattani, Chief Counsel, Criminal Appeals/Capital Litigation Section Attorneys for Appellee Phoenix James J. Haas, Maricopa County Public Defender By Spencer D. Heffel, Deputy Public Defender Attorneys for Appellant Phoenix James Irvin Mason Appellant San Luis S W A N N, Judge ¶1 After a first trial ended with a hung jury, James Irvin Mason ( Appellant ) was convicted by a jury on four counts of theft by misrepresentation, A.R.S. § 13-1802(A)(3).1 He appeals pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), and State v. Appellant s Leon, appellate 104 Ariz. counsel, 297, having 451 P.2d searched 878 the (1969). record appeal, finds no arguable non-frivolous question of law. on See Anders, 386 U.S. 738; Smith v. Robbins, 528 U.S. 259 (2000); State v. Clark, 196 Ariz. 530, 2 P.3d 89 (App. 1999). now asks this court to review the record Counsel independently for fundamental error, and Appellant has filed a supplemental brief. We have reviewed the record and considered the issues Appellant raises in his brief, and find no fundamental error. Accordingly, we affirm. FACTS2 AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY ¶2 In August 2004 Appellant was the superintendent of a group of charter schools. He obtained materials to build a storage facility at one school from Agate Steel in August 2004. 1 The charges were: count 1, theft, a Class 5 felony; count 2, theft, a Class 3 felony; count 3, theft, a Class 3 felony; and count 4, theft, a Class 3 felony. 2 On appeal, we view the facts in the light most favorable to sustaining the convictions. State v. Haight-Gyuro, 218 Ariz. 356, 357, ¶ 2, 186 P.3d 33, 34 (App. 2008). 2 He gave Agate Steel a check for $7,092 that was returned. The account the check was written on had been closed by the bank in January 2004 after being more than $3,000 overdrawn, notice to that effect had been mailed to Appellant. and a Despite that, Appellant testified he was unaware the account was closed when he wrote the check. When Appellant was contacted by Agate Steel he promised to honor the debt, and by November 2005 had paid a total of $1,900. Shortly before his second trial was to commence, he paid an additional $3,250, leaving an outstanding balance of $1,942 at the time of trial. ¶3 When the charter school closed, Appellant went back into construction, doing business as Builders Alliance with his partner Milt Hulet, who had a contractor s license. In 2006 Appellant contracted with Mesa Insulation Specialists to supply insulation for completing. a Prescott In May house 2006 that Appellant Builders paid Alliance Mesa was Insulation Specialists for their work with a check for $1,839 that was returned for overdrawn at insufficient that time funds. and bouncing on this account. The Appellant checking was aware account was checks were After several attempts to collect the amount owed, Mesa Insulation Specialists turned the matter over to the Maricopa County bad-check program. Appellant testified he intended to pay Mesa Insulation Specialists when he wrote the check, but that there was not 3 enough money in the account because Appellant had not been paid for other projects. However, Appellant had been paid for the work on the Prescott house. Appellant paid his debt to Mesa Insulation Specialists shortly before his second trial. ¶4 Builders Alliance worked on several projects for Karl Conover from 2005 to 2006. While working on such a project, Appellant purchased plans for several homes from Scott s Designs and wrote a check for slightly over $5,000 that was returned for nonsufficient funds. time and account. Appellant The checking account was overdrawn at that was aware checks were bouncing on this Appellant claimed he submitted an invoice for Scott s Designs to Conover, but Conover paid only a portion of the bill. ¶5 On July 28, 2006, Appellant purchased a color copier from Sims Business Systems with a check for $7,000 that was returned for insufficient funds. account established to train The check was written on an adult Boy Scout leaders, account never had more than a few hundred dollars in it. which After receiving notice of the dishonor on August 31, 2006, Appellant called the owner of the copier company, saying he could not pay for the copier and that the copier company could come get it. ¶6 Appellant was indicted for three counts of Class 3 felony theft and one count of Class 5 felony theft. filed an Allegation Pursuant to A.R.S. § The state 13-702.02 (2004), claiming the offenses charged in the indictment were multiple 4 offenses not committed on the same occasion. Appellant s first trial ended in a mistrial when the jurors could not agree on a verdict. ¶7 At his second trial, Appellant testified he never intended to defraud anyone by obtaining services and materials without paying. Appellant argued that his inability to honor the checks was caused by Conover not paying Appellant. However, Conover testified that he had given Appellant money in advance, only to later discover the money had never been paid to the subcontractor or vendor who was supposed to receive it. Conover testified he ceased paying subcontractors through Appellant and instead began to pay them directly, in order to get them back to work on result his he projects. had to pay Conover twice for further some testified of the that as a work, because The jury convicted Appellant of all counts. He was Appellant had diverted the first payment. ¶8 sentenced to five years probation on count 3, to begin upon his absolute discharge from prison; a mitigated sentence of one year on count 1; and mitigated sentences of four-and-a-half years each for counts 2 and 4. be served concurrently The prison sentences were ordered to and Appellant presentence incarceration credit. ¶9 was given 62 days Appellant timely appeals. This court has jurisdiction pursuant to A.R.S. §§ 12- 120.21(A)(1), 13-4031 and -4033(A)(1). 5 DISCUSSION ¶10 Appellant argues three issues: that the trial court erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal, that the court should have instructed the jury on what Appellant argues is the lesser included offense of issuing a bad check, and that the prosecutor committed misconduct by misstating the law in his closing statement. below, we review Because none of these issues were raised only for fundamental error. State v. Henderson, 210 Ariz. 561, 567, ¶ 19, 115 P.3d 601, 607 (2005). Because we find no error (much less fundamental error) regarding these issues and no fundamental error in the record on appeal, we affirm. I. THE TRIAL COURT DID NOT ERR IN DENYING THE RULE 20 MOTION. ¶11 When reviewing a denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal pursuant to Ariz. R. Crim. P. 20, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to sustaining the verdict and reverse conviction. only if Substantial no substantial evidence . . evidence . is supports such proof the that reasonable persons could accept as adequate and sufficient to support a conclusion of defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Pena, 209 Ariz. 503, 505, ¶ 7, 104 P.3d 873, 875 (App. 2005) (citations and omitted). 6 internal quotation marks ¶12 Appellant argues that the state presented insufficient evidence that offenses. Appellant had the necessary mens rea for the The offenses Appellant was convicted of require the Appellant knowingly . . . [o]btain[ed] services or property of another by means of any material misrepresentation with intent to deprive the other person A.R.S. § 13-1802(A)(3). of such property or services. However, [T]he issuer's knowledge of may be presumed if either: insufficient funds 1. The issuer had no account or a closed account with the bank or other drawee at the time the issuer issued the check. 2. Payment was refused by the bank or other drawee for lack of funds on presentation within thirty days after issue and the issuer failed to pay the holder in full the amount due on the check, together with reasonable costs, within twelve days after receiving notice of that refusal. A.R.S. § 13-1808(A). Appellant admitted the facts that support this presumption for every count. Furthermore, If a person obtained property or secured performance of services by issuing or passing a check when the issuer did not have sufficient funds . . . the person's intent to deprive the owner of property or to avoid payment for service under § 13-1802 may be presumed if either: 1. The issuer had no account or a closed account with the bank or other drawee at the time the issuer issued the check. 2. Payment was refused by the bank or other drawee for lack of funds on presentation within thirty days after issue and the issuer failed to pay the holder in full the amount due on the 7 check, together with reasonable costs, within twelve days after receiving notice of that refusal. A.R.S. § 13-1808(B). Appellant conceded the facts that support this presumption for every count as well. could therefore find that the state had A reasonable jury met its burden to establish Appellant s mens rea beyond a reasonable doubt. II. ISSUING A BAD CHECK IS NOT A LESSER INCLUDED OFFENSE. ¶13 Appellant argues that although the charging document did not describe the lesser offense of issuing a bad check3 . . . it is impossible committing the to lesser commit the offense. greater To offense4 constitute a without lesser- included offense, the offense must be composed solely of some but not all of the elements of the greater crime so that it is impossible to have committed the crime charged without having committed the lesser one. State v. Cheramie, 218 Ariz. 447, 448-49, ¶ 9, 189 P.3d 374, 375-76 (2008) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted). ¶14 Checks are not mentioned in the text of A.R.S. § 13- 1802(A)(3), the offense Appellant was convicted of, and it is possible to commit that offense without using a check. State v. Brokaw, 3 4 134 Ariz. 532, 533, 658 P.2d 185, 186 (App. 1982) A.R.S. § 13-1807(A). The theft 1802(A)(3). by misrepresentation 8 charged here, A.R.S. § 13- (upholding conviction under § 13-1802(A)(3) of a man who obtained limousine services by falsely claiming that he was the head of security for . . . Fleetwood Mac ). Therefore Appellant s argument has no merit. III. THE PROSECUTOR DID NOT MISSTATE THE LAW. ¶15 Appellant argues that the prosecutor misstated the elements of theft by misrepresentation in his closing arguments. It is improper to misstate necessarily prejudicial. law in argument but not State v. Daymus, 90 Ariz. 294, 303- 04, 367 P.2d 647, 653 (1962). complained-of the prosecutorial And because no objection to the misconduct review only for fundamental error. was made at trial, we State v. Dann, 220 Ariz. 351, 373, ¶ 125, 207 P.3d 604, 626 (2009). However, we find no error in the prosecutor s statement of the law. ¶16 A person commits theft if, without lawful authority, the person knowingly . . . [o]btains services or property of another by means of any material misrepresentation with intent to deprive the services . . . . questions language of of other A.R.S. statutory the person § of 13-1802(A)(3). interpretation, statute, such which we provides reliable index of a statute's meaning. property When first the resolving consider best or and the most State v. Thomas, 219 Ariz. 127, 129, ¶ 6, 194 P.3d 394, 396 (2008) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted). 9 ¶17 In closing, the prosecutor argued that one element of the offense was satisfied if the jury concluded that Appellant knew that what he was representing to these people was false, and not that he intended necessarily to defraud them. The prosecutor further explained [t]he part of the offense that is intentional . . . is that you take the property from someone else. case. These statements accurately summarize the law in this Also, the prosecutor properly advised the jury to refer to the jury instructions, pointing out that they define every little term in there, and Appellant does not argue that the jury instructions were incorrect. IV. OTHER ISSUES ¶18 The record reflects Appellant received a fair trial. All of the proceedings were conducted in compliance with the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure. at all stages of the proceedings. Appellant was represented The court properly instructed the jury on the elements of the charged offenses. Further, the court properly instructed the jury on the state's burden of proof. and The court received and considered a presentence report imposed a legal sentence. Appellant s sentences were properly reduced to credit presentence incarceration. CONCLUSION ¶19 find We have reviewed the record for fundamental error and none. See Leon, 104 Ariz. 10 at 300, 451 P.2d at 881. Accordingly, we affirm Appellant s convictions and sentences. Defense counsel's come to an end. 684 P.2d 154, obligations pertaining to this appeal have See State v. Shattuck, 140 Ariz. 582, 584-85, 156-57 (1984). Unless, upon review, counsel discovers an issue appropriate for petition for review to the Arizona Supreme Court, counsel must only inform Appellant of the status of this appeal and his future options. 684 P.2d at 156-67. Id. at 584-85, Appellant has 30 days from the date of this decision to file a petition for review in propria persona. Ariz. R. Crim. P. 31.19(a). Upon the court's own See motion, Appellant has 30 days from the date of this decision in which to file a motion for reconsideration. /s/ ___________________________________ PETER B. SWANN, Judge CONCURRING: /s/ ____________________________________ PHILIP HALL, Presiding Judge /s/ ____________________________________ SHELDON H. WEISBERG, Judge 11

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