Arkansas Forgery Charges
Posted on December 10th, 2009 by Administrator
There are two types of forgeries in Arkansas.
Forgery in the First Degree (Arkansas Code 5-37-201(b)). First Degree covers mainly forgery of government documents. Most cases I have seen in this category involved counterfeit money. Forgery in the First Degree in Arkansas is a Class B Felony punishable by 5-20 years imprisonment and/or a fine.
Forgery in the Second Degree (Arkansas Code 5-37-201(c)). Forgery in the Second Degree includes many forged documents. The most commenly forged document would be a check. Forgery in the Second Degree in Arkansas is a Class C Felony punishable by 3-10 years imprisonment and/or a fine.
One common misconception people have is that you have to actually be the one who forged a signature or even have to have actually used the forged document to get something of value. The definition of forgery in Arkansas is very broad and includes all of the following:
(a) A person forges a written instrument if, with purpose to defraud,
the person makes, completes, alters, counterfeits, possesses, or utters
any written instrument that purports to be or is calculated to become or
to represent if completed the act of a person who did not authorize that
act.
Arkansas Code 5-37-201(a).
Forgery in Arkansas is a serious offense. If you are charged with this crime feel free to call our firm at 501-315-5293 and schedule your free consultation today.