Carlson v. City of Huntsville

475 So. 2d 907, 1985 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 5338
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJune 11, 1985
Docket8 Div. 242
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 475 So. 2d 907 (Carlson v. City of Huntsville) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carlson v. City of Huntsville, 475 So. 2d 907, 1985 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 5338 (Ala. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

TYSON, Judge.

Donald Carlson, Jr. was charged with the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol on January 28, 1984, by Uniform Traffic Citation issued by Officer Kenneth Guffey of the Huntsville, Alabama Police Department. Also, Donald Carlson, Jr. was charged, by Uniform Traffic Citation, with driving while his license was revoked. This was issued also on January 28, 1984, again by Officer Guffey of the Huntsville, Alabama Police Department.

At trial in Municipal Court Carlson was found guilty in each case and was sentenced to 180 days in the city jail for the offense of driving under the influence and fined $1,000.00. In the driving while license was revoked charge, he was found guilty and fined $100.00, also in Municipal Court. Both of these cases were then appealed to the Circuit Court of Madison County, Alabama.

On August 10, 1984, Officer D. Daly charged this appellant with driving under the influence by Uniform Traffic Citation issued by Officer Daly of the Huntsville, Alabama Police Department. Also, in this same incident, Officer Daly charged this appellant with the offense of “attempting to elude a police officer” by Uniform Traffic Citation issued on August 10, 1984. These two cases were heard in Municipal Court and on the driving under the influence charge, the appellant was fined $2,000 and sentenced to 180 days in jail, found guilty of attempting to elude a police officer and fined $500 in that case. These two cases were also appealed to the Circuit Court of Madison County, Alabama, where appellant’s present counsel was appointed and entered not guilty pleas for the appellant in each of the four cases. (R. 1-4). The four cases were then consolidated for trial before the Honorable John David Snodgrass, Circuit Judge, who heard same without the intervention of a jury.

At trial the City of Huntsville presented the testimony of the arresting officers in each case and the appellant was found guilty as charged in each of the four cases. Thereafter a sentencing hearing was conducted and in case number CC-84-282FS, being the first DUI case, the appellant was sentenced to six months’ in the Madison County Jail and fined $1500 and court costs. In case number CC-84-288FS, being the driving while license was revoked charge, the appellant was sentenced to 30 days in the Madison County Jail and ordered to pay court costs. These two sentences were to run consecutively.

In case number CC-84-1041FS, being the second driving under the influence charge, the circuit court sentenced the appellant to nine months in jail and ordered the appellant to pay a fine of $2,500 and court costs.

In case number CC-84-1042FS, being the charge of attempting to elude a police officer, the appellant was sentenced to 90 days in jail and ordered to pay court costs. This charge, as well as the DUI charge, were ordered to be served consecutively with the sentences imposed in the first two cases. The appellant gave notice of appeal and appeal bond was set in each of the four cases.

[909]*909In the first two cases arising from the incident of January 28, 1984, Huntsville Officer Kenneth Guffey testified that about 2:30 in the morning he observed the appellant headed east on Governors Drive at a high rate of speed in the City of Huntsville. He followed the appellant for some distance and saw him “weaving heavily, crossing over the center line and turn into the left lane at 60 miles per hour”. (R. 6). Guffey followed him and several times attempted to make appellant stop. He stated that he traveled over 500 feet after he had applied his siren and emergency equipment with a blue light. Appellant was driving a 1973, red Ford Nova. There was a black female seated on the passenger side next to him. After stopping the appellant and asking for identification, he received a work card with appellant’s name and date of birth. After running a check through the records division, he found that the appellant had a revoked driver’s license. He asked the appellant to step outside the automobile. He stated that the appellant’s eyes were bloodshot, that he was sloppily dressed and his clothes rumpled. He stated that the appellant’s speech was slurred. He noted the odor of intoxicating beverages on appellant’s breath. He then asked the appellant to perform certain field sobriety tests. He stated that the appellant staggered when he attempted to walk a straight line, as he attempted to touch his nose he touched his forehead and that he could not walk without staggering. He then placed the appellant under arrest and took him to city hall. The appellant was given his Miranda rights and refused to take a GCI or breath test. Officer Guffey stated that, in his opinion, the appellant was intoxicated.

As to this case, the appellant presented no evidence at trial.

As to the two charges which arose from the incident on August 10,1984, the City of Huntsville presented the testimony of police officer Robert Keith Lasater. Officer Lasater stated he was working as a security officer off duty at the Burger King at University and Parkway about 11:00 o’clock on the evening of August 10, 1984. He observed two Huntsville police cars giving chase to a motorcycle. He stated that as the two officers pursued this vehicle, he observed it turn on University Drive going down the wrong lane. He saw the motorcycle jump the curb and start coming into the Burger King parking lot and attempt to stop. The officer then ran up, grabbed the appellant and pulled him off the motorcycle. He stated that he pinned appellant’s arms behind his head and that Huntsville officers Daly and Brantly, together, assisted him in subduing this appellant. He stated the appellant’s speech was slurred and that he detected the odor of alcohol on his breath. He stated that after they put handcuffs on him the appellant staggered and could not walk a straight line and that, in his opinion, appellant was intoxicated and that he was yelling for the officers to leave him alone. He stated that later that evening he went to city hall and that the appellant had refused to take a breathalyzer test. As to this charge, the appellant did not offer any testimony at trial. The appellant was then adjudged guilty as charged in all four cases by the circuit court.

I

In brief counsel calls attention to Rule 15.3, Alabama Temporary Rules of Criminal Procedure which reads as follows:

“(a) Joinder. Two or more offenses may be joined in an indictment, information, or complaint, if they:
“(i) are of the same or similar character; or
“(ii) are based on the same conduct or otherwise connected in their commission; or
“(iii) are alleged to have been part of a common scheme or plan.
“Offenses shall not be joined in the same count of an indictment or information. Felonies and misdemeanors may be joined in separate counts of the same indictment or information.
“(b) Consolidation. If a defendant has been charged in separate indictments, in-[910]*910formations or complaints, the court, on its own initiative or on motion of either party, may, not later than seven days prior to trial, order that the charges be tried together if the offenses could have been joined in a single indictment, information, or complaint. Proceedings thereafter shall be the same as if the prosecution initially had been under a single indictment, information, or complaint.

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Related

Ireland v. City of Birmingham
481 So. 2d 443 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1985)
Carroll v. City of Huntsville
505 So. 2d 388 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1985)
Cole v. City of Huntsville
477 So. 2d 983 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1985)
Gandy v. City of Birmingham
478 So. 2d 11 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
475 So. 2d 907, 1985 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 5338, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carlson-v-city-of-huntsville-alacrimapp-1985.