State v. Chester

The property owner testified that his truck, containing $800 worth of specialized heavy-construction tools, disappeared from his carport one night. That same night, very late, Ronnie Chester (defendant), who had no connection to heavy construction, visited a friend nearby and offered to sell him the tools for $35; the friend asked no questions about how Chester came to have them, and ultimately paid $30, all the cash he had on hand, for tools worth $800. Chester offered no explanation, at the time or at trial, for how he obtained the specialized tools. A jury convicted Chester of possessing stolen property, but an appellate court reversed, and the State of Louisiana (plaintiff) appealed to the state supreme court.