State v. Chester
Louisiana Supreme Court
707 So.2d 973 (1997)
- Written by Rich Walter, JD
Facts
The State of Louisiana (plaintiff) prosecuted Ronnie Chester (defendant) for possession of stolen property. Trial evidence included the property owner's testimony that his truck, which contained tools worth $800 that were specifically designed for use in heavy construction, disappeared from his carport one night. The circumstantial evidence showed that nearby and very late on the same night, Chester visited a friend and offered to sell him the tools for $35. Chester was not involved in heavy construction. Chester said nothing to explain how he came to possess such specialized tools, and the friend asked no questions. The friend had only $30 on hand, and Chester agreed to sell him the tools for that price. Chester offered no evidence to establish an innocent explanation for his possession of the tools. The jury convicted Chester but an appellate court reversed the conviction. The state appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Per curiam)
What to do next…
Here's why 811,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.
