Miss. Code Ann. » Miss. Code Ann. / Title 97 / Chapter 19
Mississippi Code

Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (2026)

Obtaining signature or thing of value with intent to defraud

✓ current as of July 2026
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Codes, Hutchinson's 1848, ch. 64, art. 12, Title 4(53); 1857, ch. 64, art. 105; 1871, § 2569; 1880, § 2811; 1892, § 1086; 1906, § 1166; Hemingway's 1917, § 893; 1930, § 919; 1942, § 2149; Laws, 2003, ch. 499, § 5, eff. 7/1/2003.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 45 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1976–2025 · leading case: Patton v. State, 34 So. 3d 563 (Miss. 2010).
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Patton v. State, 34 So. 3d 563 (Miss. 2010). · cites it 32× “Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (Rev.2006). Liability for the felony depends upon whether the value of the thing(s) obtained by false pretense is more than five hundred dollars.”
Patton v. State, 109 So. 3d 66 (Miss. 2012). · cites it 12× “Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (Rev.2006). .Mississippi Code Section 97-19-85 reads as follows: (1) Any person who shall make or cause to be made any false statement or representation as to his or another person's or entity’s identity, social security account number, credit card…”
Rummel v. Estelle, 445 U.S. 263 (1980). · cites it 2× “1978) (fine or up to 5 years); Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (1972) (fine or up to 3 years); Mont.”
Robert Patrick Terrell v. State of Mississippi, 237 So. 3d 717 (Miss. 2018). · cites it 4× “Under Mississippi Code Section 97-19-39(2) (Rev. 2014): Every person, who with intent to cheat or defraud another, shall designedly, by color of any false token or writing, or by another false pretense, obtain the signature of any person to any written instrument, or obtain from…”
Turner v. State, 573 So. 2d 1335 (Miss. 1990). · cites it 5× “The record reflects that on August 17, 1988, Cole was adjudged guilty of forgery to obtain a thing of value by signature, Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (Supp. 1988) and that on August 8, 1985, Cole had been adjudged guilty of grand larceny, both convictions having been entered in…”
Miss. State Bd. of Nursing v. Wilson, 624 So. 2d 485 (Miss. 1993). · cites it 3× “The complaint lodged against Wilson alleged that certain conduct constituted the crime of false pretenses as defined by Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-39 . Wilson contends the board presented no evidence of his fraudulent intent.”
Cater v. State, 5 So. 3d 391 (Miss. 2009). · cites it 30× “2d at 150-54 ; Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (Rev.2006). Section 97-19-39 refers simply to “person[s].”
McArn v. Allied Bruce-Terminix Co., Inc., 626 So. 2d 603 (Miss. 1993). · cites it 2× “McArn contends that he was reporting conduct which amounted to a crime under Miss. Code Ann. §§ 97-19-39 and 69-23-19 (1972) (felony to receive money under false pretense and misdemeanor to violate state pest control regulations).”
Jones v. Fluor Daniel Servs. Corp., 959 So. 2d 1044 (Miss. 2007). · cites it 2× “In McArn , the plaintiff, a former at-will employee of Terminix, alleged that he was terminated because he reported conduct of Terminix which constituted a crime under Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (Rev.2006) and Miss.”
Wheeler v. BL Dev. Corp., 415 F.3d 399 (5th Cir. 2005). “at 606 (citing Miss.Code Ann. §§ 97-19-39 and 69-23-19 (1972) (denoting as a felony the receipt of money under false pretense and as a misdemeanor the violation of state pest control regulations)).”
McLaughlin v. City of Canton, Miss., 947 F. Supp. 954 (S.D. Miss. 1995). · cites it 4× “The crime of “false pretenses” relevant here is found at Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-39, which provides as follows: Every person who with intent to cheat or defraud another, shall designedly, by color of any false token or writing, or by another false pretense,.”
Allred v. State, 605 So. 2d 758 (Miss. 1992). · cites it 4× “McRAE Justice, for the Court: Bobby Allred appeals his September 5, 1989, conviction by a jury of the Union County Circuit Court on charges of false pretenses pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (1972) stemming from his failure to repair properly a leaking roof.”
Show all 45 citing cases →
— Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-39(1) — 3 cases
Patton v. State, 34 So. 3d 563 (Miss. 2010). “Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (Rev.2006). Liability for the felony depends upon whether the value of the thing(s) obtained by false pretense is more than five hundred dollars.”
Martin v. State, 87 So. 3d 1145 (Miss. Ct. App. 2012).
Edgar Patton v. State of Mississippi (Miss. 2008).
— Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-39(2) — 13 cases
Patton v. State, 34 So. 3d 563 (Miss. 2010). “Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (Rev.2006). Liability for the felony depends upon whether the value of the thing(s) obtained by false pretense is more than five hundred dollars.”
Robert Patrick Terrell v. State of Mississippi, 237 So. 3d 717 (Miss. 2018). “Under Mississippi Code Section 97-19-39(2) (Rev. 2014): Every person, who with intent to cheat or defraud another, shall designedly, by color of any false token or writing, or by another false pretense, obtain the signature of any person to any written instrument, or obtain from…”
Patton v. State, 109 So. 3d 66 (Miss. 2012). “Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (Rev.2006). .Mississippi Code Section 97-19-85 reads as follows: (1) Any person who shall make or cause to be made any false statement or representation as to his or another person's or entity’s identity, social security account number, credit card…”
Sharon Sallie v. State of Mississippi, 230 So. 3d 312 (Miss. Ct. App. 2017).
Cater v. State, 5 So. 3d 391 (Miss. 2009). “2d at 150-54 ; Miss.Code Ann. § 97-19-39 (Rev.2006). Section 97-19-39 refers simply to “person[s].”
— Miss. Code Ann. § 97-19-39(b) — 2 cases
Walker v. State, 271 So. 3d 789 (Miss. Ct. App. 2019).
Walker v. State, 271 So. 3d 789 (Miss. Ct. App. 2019).
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