Batin v. State
Nevada Supreme Court
38 P.3d 880 (2002)
Batin (defendant), a slot mechanic at the Nugget Hotel and Casino, was authorized to fix jammed coins and refill hoppers but was specifically barred from touching the paper currency inside slot machines' bill validators; any customer cash refund required him to call a supervisor. The Casino discovered roughly $40,000 missing from machines Batin had accessed after turning off their power, bypassing the usual monitoring, a pattern not seen with other mechanics. The State (plaintiff) charged Batin with embezzlement, and a jury convicted him; an intermediate appellate panel affirmed, and Batin petitioned the full Nevada Supreme Court for review.
Whether one of the elements of the crime of embezzlement is that the defendant had been entrusted with lawful possession of the property prior to its conversion.