CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A federal appeals court Wednesday overturned a woman's bad-check conviction, saying she served 12 years in prison "for conduct that is not a crime."
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Joni Goldyn, 59, a problem gambler convicted of five counts of writing bad checks in Las Vegas.
Because she had four prior fraud-related convictions, she was given multiple life sentences as a habitual criminal. She was eventually paroled.
The appeals court said it was undisputed that Goldyn lacked funds in her bank account, which she opened under an assumed name, to cover her checks. But the court noted Goldyn had a check guarantee card, and the bank covered all the checks.