Ronald James Lawrence v. United States

In this proceeding under the Juvenile Delinquency Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 5031-5037 (1964), Ronald James Lawrence was adjudged to be a juvenile delinquent because of his violation of the Dyer Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2312 (1964). Appealing to this court, Lawrence contends, among other things, that the evidence of guilt is insufficient to support the judgment.

Defendant was charged with having transported a stolen vehicle, namely, a 1963 Pontiac automobile, in foreign commerce from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, to Safford, Arizona, in violation of section 2312. In order to obtain a conviction on this charge, it was necessary for the Government to prove that: (1) the Pontiac had been stolen, (2) defendant transported it on some part of the trip from Niagara Falls to Safford, (3) at the time of such transportation defendant knew that the Pontiac had been stolen, and (4) defendant so transported the automobile with the intent to permanently or temporarily deprive the owner of the rights and benefits of ownership. See Jones v. United States, 9 Cir., 378 F.2d 340, 341 .

According to the evidence offered by the Government, the Pontiac, bearing license number 815-468 67 Ont., was owned by David…