State v. Steiger

Summary

The Supreme Court of North Dakota affirmed Raymond Steiger's conviction for failing to register as a sex offender. The court held that admissible evidence and reasonable inferences supported a finding that Steiger had abandoned his registered address and therefore failed to report a change of address as required by North Dakota law. The court also explained that it reviews the entire record for substantial evidence and is not limited to the trial court's stated reasons for its judgment.

Holdings

1. The evidence and reasonable inferences, viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict, established beyond a reasonable doubt that Steiger had abandoned his registered address and failed to register his change of address within ten days.
2. The conviction may be affirmed based on the admissible evidence and reasonable inferences in the entire record, regardless of the allegedly hearsay testimony or the trial court's stated reasons for finding guilt.

Questions Presented

1. Whether sufficient evidence supported the finding that Steiger had abandoned his registered address and therefore was required to report a change of address under N.D.C.C. § 12.1-32-15.
2. Whether allegedly hearsay testimony concerning Steiger's absence from the registered address rendered the evidence insufficient to support the conviction.

Disposition

affirmed