New Precedent Overrules Antiquated Method for Valuing Currency in Theft of Property Offenses

| March 29, 2016 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/11/ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1655;s:6:"height";i:1240;s:4:"file";s:67:"2015/11/ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-336x252.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-771x578.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:578;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-768x575.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:575;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:69:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-1536x1151.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1151;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:65:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-415x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-354x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:354;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:67:"ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => David Martin
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => AP
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:1132105;s:14:"optimized_size";i:765345;s:7:"percent";d:32.399999999999999;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:95:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/11/ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:1128057;s:14:"optimized_size";i:761423;s:7:"percent";d:32.5;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:5:"large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:101:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/11/ap_03082101940-be224de147901c6ab4c0026fc2461f3e47f43859-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:4048;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3922;s:7:"percent";d:3.1099999999999999;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1672313797 
1459274502

Attorney General Luther Strange says the Alabama Supreme Court recently issued a precedent-setting decision regarding theft of property offenses.

James Hall, was a former commander of the Houston County Disabled American Veterans. He issued a $1,500 check from a DAV account to himself but refused to reimburse the money when other DAV board members disputed the transaction. Hall was convicted for second-degree theft of property in February 2015.

Hall appealed, claiming the indictment charged him with theft of currency but the evidence showed that he actually stole a $1500 check. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Hall’s conviction.

The Alabama Supreme Court decision overruled cases relying on antiquated methods for valuating currency. For example, in past years, five silver coins would have been worth less than five gold coins, so the value of what was stolen depended on its particular nature. The decision modernizes the law to reflect modern financial practices, which recognize that the value of currency is standardized and is not dependent on whether the medium of exchange is currency, check, debit card, or credit card.

 

Teens are having disturbing interactions with chatbots. Here’s how to lower the risks

Teen use of AI chat bots is growing, and psychologists worry it's affecting their social development and mental health. Here's what parents should know to help kids use the technology safely.

The Best Tiny Desk Concerts of 2025

Which Tiny Desk made an audio engineer question everything? Which one made a producer want to cry? Touch grass? Look back on the year in Tiny Desk, with the people who make them.

Why do so many people ring in the new year on Jan. 1?

Much of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, who put the finishing touches on a Roman system that integrated ideas from other cultures.

A ‘very aesthetic person,’ President Trump says being a builder is his second job

President Trump was a builder before he took office, but he has continued it as a hobby in the White House.

Electric vehicles had a bumpy road in 2025 — and one pleasant surprise

A suite of pro-EV federal policies have been reversed. Well-known vehicles have been discontinued. Sales plummeted. But interest is holding steady.

Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted U.S. political parties, memo says

The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021 told investigators someone needed to "speak up" for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen, prosecutors said Sunday.

More Front Page Coverage