Commonwealth v. Strause

51 Pa. D. & C.2d 551, 1970 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 316
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lebanon County
DecidedDecember 15, 1970
Docketno. 263
StatusPublished

This text of 51 Pa. D. & C.2d 551 (Commonwealth v. Strause) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lebanon County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Strause, 51 Pa. D. & C.2d 551, 1970 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 316 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1970).

Opinion

MEYER, J.,

On May 5, 1970, Mae C. Strause was apprehended by an officer of the Pennsylvania State Police and charged with operating under the influence of “intoxicating beverages”1 in violation of section 1037 of The Vehicle Code. In connection with the apprehension, a qualified breathalyzer expert administered the test to Mrs. Strause and the results indicated an alcohol blood content by weight of .19 percent.

Following a preliminary hearing held May 11, 1970, defendant was bound over for court.

On July 29, 1970, defendant filed a pretrial application to dismiss the charge because of the language employed by the justice of the peace in the complaint in describing the offense as “. . . Driving Under the Influence of Liquor in that she did while driving a Mercury Cpe. bearing Penna. Reg. #04971C, Sticker #639118 North on No. 7th St. in North Lebanon Twp. Defendant was weaving all over the road, went in South bound Lane, forcing other cars off the road.” [553]*553We issued a rule on the district attorney, who subsequently answered the application.

On August 17, 1970, we entered an order refusing the application for relief after a conference in chambers with counsel. Thereafter, the district attorney submitted the indictment to the grand jury which approved it on August 31,1970. On September 3,1970, an identical pretrial application was filed and answered, and on September 14,1970, was refused.

The case came to trial on September 17, 1970, resulting in a verdict of guilty.

On September 18, 1970, defendant filed a motion for a new trial, alleging that the verdict was contrary to the weight of the evidence and that the trial court erred in admitting into evidence the results of the breathalyzer test taken one and one-half hours and upwards after the driving by defendant for which she was charged without any other testimony indicating that it was adequate proof of the blood alcohol content of defendant at the time she was driving, thereby prejudicing her.

The case was then set down for argument, orally argued before the court en banc and we now have the benefit of briefs by counsel.

At argument, defendant argued that the pretrial application was improperly dismissed. Defendant charges that, by omitting an essential element of the crime in the complaint, that is, that the liquor was “intoxicating,” defendant was improperly charged and the proceeding should have been dismissed on defendant’s pretrial application or applications.

Defendant further complains that the conference with the hearing judge resulted in a dismissal of the pretrial application because it was filed prior to the finding of a “true bill” (sic) of indictment by the grand jury. This reason is not a matter of record nor need it [554]*554be. If a ruling is correct, it is unimportant that the reason for it may be incorrect. Therefore, it is unnecessary for us to explore and interpret the newly adopted rules for pretrial application because we are firmly of the opinion that the ruling was correct.

Criminal proceedings are instituted by the filing of a complaint. The purpose of a complaint is to advise defendant of the nature of the charges that have been leveled against him to satisfy the notice aspect of due process of law. But complaints, like the old informations, are prepared by justices of the peace and, sometimes, police officers. These persons are not learned in the law and their work has never been scrutinized with the care and perception that is required of proceedings and pleadings prepared by attorneys and judges.

Under Rule 104 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure, the complaint must contain a summary of the facts sufficient to advise defendant of the nature of the offense charged. A careful reading of this complaint informs defendant that she is charged with violating a misdemeanor provision of The Vehicle Code and that the acts committed by her were “. . . Driving Under the Influence of Liquor in that she did while driving a Mercury Cpe. . . . North on No. 7th St. in North Lebanon Twp. Defendant was weaving all over the road, went in South bound Lane, forcing other cars off the road. . . . Violation occurred app. 7:35 P. M. of said day. All of which were against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and/or contrary to the Acts of Assembly Section 1037 in such case made and provided.” These facts, we believe, are sufficient to advise this defendant of the nature of the charges and the omission of the adjective “intoxicating” before the word “liquor” is an immaterial omission and the objection to it hyper-[555]*555technical. Consequently, the summary disposition of the application was justifiable.

Defendant next contends that the admission into evidence of the results of the breathalyzer test, under the circumstances of this case, was improper and prejudicial to defendant.

On Tuesday, May 5, 1970, at about 7:15 p. m., a constable2 of the City of Lebanon observed defendant operating an automobile north on Seventh Street in the City of Lebanon. He noticed that the automobile was weaving and he followed it north on Seventh Street into North Lebanon Township. Defendant’s automobile continued to weave from side to side across the center line of the highway, forcing other automobiles off the road. Some of the oncoming motorists blew their horns in an attempt to call attention to the dangerous manner in which defendant was operating her car. The constable testified that he had difficulty getting close enough to stop her but that he eventually pulled her alongside of the road. The constable got out of his automobile and began talking with defendant. She was loud and argumentative, her speech was slurred, and he detected an odor of alcohol on her breath. The constable was of the opinion that she was under the influence of intoxicating beverages.

The constable then summoned the police. Trooper Ronald J. Franzone, of the Pennsylvania State Police, was the first officer to arrive at the scene. He had been on his way to investigate a burglary when he noticed the constable standing in the roadway and defendant’s vehicle parked along the road. He testified that he observed defendant at the scene. He noticed a strong odor of alcohol on her breath, that she had a staggered [556]*556gait and that her eyes were red. He stated that, in his opinion, she was under the influence of intoxicating liquor at the time he saw her. ,,,

Trooper William E. McAvoy, of the Pennsylvania State Police, was the next officer to arrive at the scene. He too observed defendant and noted that she had a staggering gait, her voice was slurred and that she did smell of alcohol. He testified that, in his opinion, defendant was under the influence of intoxicating beverages. He asked her to accompany him to the State Police Barracks for the purpose of administering a breathalyzer test. Prior to leaving the scene, he fully advised her of her legal and constitutional rights and asked if she had been drinking. She told the trooper that she had two and one-half quarts of beer. He then took her to the barracks at Jonestown and waited for Trooper Franzone, who was the qualified breathalyzer operator.

Franzone testified that he began administering the test at five minutes after nine. He further testified that the breathalyzer test results indicated that Mrs. Strause had .19 percent alcohol content in her blood at that time. Thereafter, Mrs. Strause was charged with a violation of section 1037.

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51 Pa. D. & C.2d 551, 1970 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 316, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-strause-pactcompllebano-1970.