Talk:Uttering

This article was nominated for deletion. Please review the prior discussions if you are considering re-nomination:

keep, 11 April 2011, see discussion.
speedy keep, 24 January 2011 (UTC), see discussion.

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Disputed meaning

Uttering is not a crime. Definition: To "utter" is to: send forth as a sound (i.e. utter a sigh); to speak (i.e. she refused to utter his name); to express in words (i.e. to utter an opinion). The transitive verb of the word "utter" is "uttering". The meaning, as used in the article, is to "give, offer or present", as in "uttering a forged document". It is not a crime to be caught "uttering". If one is caught "uttering a non-forged document" then no crime has been committed. This article should be deleted. Securel (talk) 19:07, 24 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Yes it is. Try here or read any of the refs in the article. Valenciano (talk) 21:01, 24 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Not its not. In all of your linked examples the word "uttering" is not the crime, but is just a word being used to describe a crime such as “uttering of false money”, or “uttering and publishing an alleged fictitious instrument in writing", or “forgery and the uttering of a forged instrument”. The word “uttering” in itself, is just a word, and the act of “uttering”, in itself, is not a crime. Securel (talk) 21:29, 24 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Try again and pay closer attention to the first one: "the felony of uttering has been committed. The Supreme Court of Virginia defined the crime of uttering." However if you think the article should have a more exact title, go ahead and suggest it. Valenciano (talk) 21:58, 24 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Once again, the it begs the question "Uttering what?" You must take the example give by Valenciano above and put it into context. In that example the author is defining the crime of "Uttering a worthless check". You must utter "something" to commit the criminal act. The act of "uttering" must be followed by "a forged cheque" or "counterfeit money" before it becomes a crime. The Canadian Criminal Code defines the word "utter" at Part XII - Offences Relating to Currency, Section 448 (Definitions): "utter" includes sell, pay, tender and put off. None of those defined terms are criminal acts in themselves. Securel (talk) 23:00, 23 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

1800 - 1827 Public executions If this link is reliable, it is clear that the word "uttering" was used as verbal shorthand for "uttering forgery", with the object of the verb implied by the context. It seems that, in England and Wales between 1800 and 1827, 144 people were recorded as having been executed for it. To me that makes this article more than "low importance". It should be expanded to discuss when and under what circumstances the crime became a felony, and how widespread it was. Sasha (talk) 22:21, 5 February 2012 (UTC)[reply]