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Legislature calls for prison for bad checks of $5K and up

The Arizona Daily Star

PHOENIX — People who write really large bad checks could end up in state prison under the terms of a measure given final legislative approval Monday.

The bill, which now goes to the governor, says those who pay merchants or others with a check for $5,000 or more that bounces can be incarcerated for up to a year. Issuing a bad check, in any amount, is simply a misdemeanor now, with the maximum penalty of six months in the county jail.

But Cochise County Attorney Edward Rheinheimer, who helped write the measure, said the aim isn't really to put more people behind bars. Instead, he said, it's designed to give prosecutors some leverage to force the check writers to make good on their bad "paper."

Posted by Editor at June 19, 2007 07:14 AM

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