James Sidney Keyes v. United States

James Sidney Keyes, appellant herein, was convicted by a jury in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington of a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2312 . This appeal was timely taken from the judgment and sentence of imprisonment thereafter imposed by the district judge. Jurisdiction is conferred on this court by the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 1291 .

The sole question on this appeal is whether there was sufficient evidence in the record of appellant’s knowledge that the automobile in his possession was stolen to submit to the jury.

The evidence showed that at the time of his arrest on or about March 7, 1961, in Seattle, Washington, appellant was in possession of a 1960 Cadillac convertible automobile, which bore a California license plate on the rear bumper and a temporary white California used vehicle certificate (No. 1801177) in the front windshield of the car. The appellant at that time stated to a Seattle police sergeant that he had purchased the car in Los Angeles for the sum of $3500 from Mr. Silverthorne of the Associated Auto Auction of Los Angeles, that it was his (appellant’s) signature on the temporary certificate, and that the certificate had been…