MARION D. BURTON, APPELLANT,
v.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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Marion Burton was convicted of grand larceny after a jury trial for falsifying an automobile title and making a false insurance claim. On appeal, the Florida District Court of Appeal affirmed his conviction, finding sufficient evidence of false representation and rejecting his claims of ineffective cross-examination at trial.
The court held that the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction, as the jury could find the falsification of the title and false claim constituted representations upon which the insurance company relied in paying the claim. The court also held that the cross-examination was not unfairly prejudicial but was relevant to the issues on trial.
“Under these facts, the representation that the wreck was an insurable automobile and that it been stolen, were sufficient representations upon which to base the conviction when coupled with the payment by the insurance company.”
Establishes that the falsified title and false claim, combined with insurance payment, constitute sufficient evidence of reliance for larceny by false representation.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceBurton procured a title to a wrecked automobile and falsified it to show purchase from a nonexistent corporation. He falsely claimed the automobile ha…
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The appellant was adjudged guilty after a jury trial upon a charge of grand larceny. The information was framed pursuant to § 811.201 Fla.Stat., F.S.A., which includes larceny by making a false representation.
*466Appellant’s main thrust on this appeal is that the State failed to prove a prima facie case in that it failed to prove a false representation in reliance upon which another person parted with money or property. There is evidence in the record to support a finding of guilty. The jury could have found, upon evidence presented, that the appellant procured a title to a wrecked automobile; the title was falsified to show a purchase from a nonexistent corporation; a false claim was made stating that the automobile had been stolen, and that the claim was paid pursuant to the false claim. Under these facts, the representation that the wreck was an insurable automobile and that it been stolen, were sufficient representations upon which to base the conviction when coupled with the payment by the insurance company. The fact of the claim and the payment of the claim, together with the other evidence, established the fraud without a direct statement that the claim was paid in a reliance upon a particular representation. Cf. Henson v. State, 140 Fla. 412, 192 So. 163 (1939); Astrachan v. State, 158 Fla. 457, 28 So.2d 874 (1947).
Appellant’s second point urges that he is entitled to a new trial because of unfair and prejudicial cross examination of the defendant by the State. It is clear that upon an election to take the stand in his own defense, a defendant is subject to the wide latitude of cross examination exactly as any other witness is subject to cross examination. Ivey v. State, 132 Fla. 36, 180 So. 368, 369 (1938).
We have carefully read the record of the cross examination of the appellant, and we conclude that appellant’s contention that he was denied a fair trial because the jury was lead to infer facts not in evidence, is not substantiated by the record. In particular, it is urged that a question as to previous insurance claims was susceptible to an inference that the State had evidence of other presumably fraudulent claims. The defendant stated that he was in the used car business and that thefts had frequently occurred in this enterprise. In this state of the record, we cannot say that the evidence elicited was for the purpose of degrading the character of the accused.1 It appears that the question was not for the purpose of prejudicing the minds of the jury, but rather, was relevant to the issue on trial.
Affirmed.
On Rehearing
A rehearing having been granted on grounds 1 and 2 of said petition, and the case having been further considered upon the record and briefs and argument of attorneys for the respective parties, it is ordered and adjudged by the court that the opinion of this court filed January 3, 1968 in said cause be and the same is hereby reaffirmed and adhered to on rehearing.
On Rehearing
A rehearing having been granted on grounds 1 and 2 of said petition, and the case having been further considered upon the record and briefs and argument of attorneys for the respective parties, it is ordered and adjudged by the court that the opinion of this court filed January 3, 1968 in said cause be and the same is hereby reaffirmed and adhered to on rehearing.
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Citator
Cited By
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McNAIR v. State, 353 So. 2d 176 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977)…PER CURIAM. Affirmed on authority of Campbell v. State, 155 Fla. 359, 20 So. 2d 127 (1944); Spencer v. State, 133 So. 2d 729 (Fla.1961); Burton v. State, 207 So. 2d 465 (Fla. 3d DCA 1968); Reis v. State, 248 So. 2d 666 (Fla. 3d DCA 1971); Oja v. State, 292 So. 2d 71 (Fla. 2d DCA 1974); Garmise v. State, 311 So. 2d 747 (Fla. 3d DCA 1975); Rodriguez v. State, 327 So. 2d 903 (Fla. 3d DCA 1976).…
Authorities Cited
- Williams v. State, 110 So. 2d 654 (Fla. 1959)
- Williams v. Florida, 361 U.S. 847 (U.S. 1959)
- White v. Illinois, 361 U.S. 847 (U.S. 1959)
- Ivey v. State, 132 Fla. 36 (Fla. 1938)
- Horner v. State, 149 So. 2d 863 (Fla. 3d DCA 1963)
- Astrachan v. State, 158 Fla. 457 (Fla. 1947)
- Worth Henson v. State, 140 Fla. 412 (Fla. 1939)