Gaul-Alexander

Appellant Linda May Gaul-Alexander was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to commit nonviolent prison escape (Pen. Code, § 182, subd. (a)(1)), aiding and abetting the attempted escape of a prisoner (§ 4534), bigamy (§ 281), and forgery (§ 470). She was placed on five years’ probation under various terms and conditions, including that she spend one year at a psychiatric treatment/correctional facility.

Appellant, a Los Angeles County parole agent, became romantically involved with one of her parolees, Randolph Alexander (Alexander), and married him after he was returned to custody for a 25-year term. Several months later, she forged a removal order to have Alexander transferred from the California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi (Tehachapi) to the Los Angeles County jail. Alexander was searched prior to transfer and officers found a handcuff key, wedding ring and $60 cash secreted in his person.

Appellant contends her forgery conviction must be reversed for two reasons: (1) there is no evidence she possessed the requisite intent to defraud because the removal order was not an instrument of the type capable of “defrauding” as that term is used in the law of forgery,…