The People of the State of New York v. . Lorenzo Baker

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed Lorenzo Baker's conviction for obtaining money by false pretenses, holding that the prosecution failed to prove the requisite fraudulent intent and reliance on any false representation. The Court noted that mere silence or suppression of truth does not constitute false pretenses and that intent to defraud must be proved as a factual issue for the jury. A dissent argued that the evidence did support a conviction.