DES MOINES (AP) — The Iowa Appeals Court has overturned a man’s conviction because the fake money he tried to use was too unreal to believe.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 48-year-old James Scott, of Waterloo, offered a $100 bill marked "For Motion Picture Use Only" and "This note is not legal" in April 2016 when he tried to buy a cellphone in Waterloo. A store clerk rejected it, and Scott eventually was convicted of forgery.
Scott argued in his appeal that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him.
The appellate court Wednesday cited Iowa court rulings from 1859 and 1869 that say that if a document isn’t capable of deceiving, its use doesn’t constitute forgery. Consequently, the court said, “There is insufficient evidence to support Scott’s conviction.”