Jackson v. Commonwealth

530 S.W.3d 925
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedSeptember 22, 2017
DocketNO. 2016-CA-001429-MR
StatusPublished

This text of 530 S.W.3d 925 (Jackson v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jackson v. Commonwealth, 530 S.W.3d 925 (Ky. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

OPINION

LAMBERT, J., JUDGE:

Cameron Jackson has directly appealed from the Final Judgment of the Campbell Circuit Court convicting him of driving on a DUI-suspended license, third offense ag-gravator, following a bench trial, and sentencing him to twelve months in jail. Jackson contests the circuit court’s denial of his pre-trial motion to dismiss that charge. Finding no error, we affirm.

The facts in this case are largely uncontested, and we shall only briefly recount them. After fishing on his mother’s private property in Campbell County, Jackson flipped his truck while driving on her property and injured himself. His mother called 911 to report the accident and that he had been drinking. Responding officers noticed that Jackson smelled strongly of alcohol, but he refused to give a blood sample. Emergency workers transported Jackson to the hospital so that he could receive necessary medical treatment. Officers obtained the results of a blood draw while hie was hospitalized.

As a result, the Campbell County grand jury indicted Jackson on two charges. Count 1 charged that he was operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs, fourth offense, pursuant to Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) 189A.010(5). Count 2 charged that he was driving on a DUI suspended license, second offense, aggravator, while he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs pursuant to KRS 189A.090(2). Jackson entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment, and he was placed on home incarceration. The condition of home incarceration was later removed from his bond.

Prior to trial, Jackson moved to suppress any evidence the officers discovered based on lack of consent to enter the property and lack of a warrant, as well as the blood test results based upon lack of consent and an alleged HIPAA violation. The Commonwealth objected to the motion, and the court held a hearing. The court ultimately denied the motion to suppress, setting forth the factual circumstances and its legal conclusions on the issues. None of the issues raised in the motion to suppress is before this Court on appeal.

Based on information discovered at the suppression hearing, Jackson moved to [927]*927dismiss Count 2 of the indictment,, the driving on a DUI suspended ■ license charge. Jackson argued that KRS 186.620(2) prohibits a person from operating a motor vehicle on a highway without a license. Because he had been driving on private property belonging to his mother and stepfather, he was not required to have a license and therefore could not have committed the offense for which he was charged. The Commonwealth objected to the motion, arguing that a criminal proceeding may not be dismissed without the consent of the presiding judge and the Commonwealth, and because Jackson had been charged with a violation of KRS 189A.090, not ICRS 186.620. Jackson also filed a motion in limine to exclude evidence of his prior DUI convictions or other charges. The circuit court denied both motions by order entered August 16, 2016, noting that it did not have the authority to dismiss the indictment. The following day, Jackson moved the court to exclude any evidence of driving on a private property for purposes of a need for a driver’s license, making the same argument he did in the motion to dismiss.

The court held a bench trial on August 17, 2016,1 and Jackson.renewed his previously filed motions at the close of the Commonwealth’s case. The court found Jackson not guilty under Count 1 and dismissed that charge, and it found him guilty of Count 2. In its Pinal'Judgment entered September 14, 2016, the court sentenced Jackson to twelve months in the Campbell County Detention Center. This appeal now follows.

On appeal, Jackson’s sole argument is that the circuit court erred in denying his motion to dismiss based upon the application of KRS 186.620. Because this necessarily requires us to interpret that statute in relation to KRS 189A.090, and statutory interpretation is a question of law, we shall review this matter de novo. Commonwealth v. Gamble, 453 S.W.3d 716, 718 (Ky. 2015); Cinelli v. Ward, 997 S.W.2d 474, 476 (Ky. App. 1998).

In Kentucky, “[t]he primary purpose of judicial construction is to carry out the intent of the legislature. In construing a statute, the courts must consider the intended purpose bf the statute-and the mischief intended to be remedied. A court may not interpret a statute at variance with its stated language.” Monumental Life Ins. Co. v. Dept. of Revenue, 294 S.W.3d 10, 19 (Ky. App. 2008) (internal quotation marks omitted) (citing Smith-Kline Beecham Corp. v. Revenue Cabinet, 40 S.W.3d 883, 885 (Ky. App. 2001)). “The courts should reject a construction that is unreasonable and absurd; in preference for one that is reasonable, rational, sensible and intelligent[.]” Monumental Life Ins. Co., 294 S.W.3d at 19 (internal quotation marks omitted) (citing Commonwealth v. Kerr, 136 S.W.3d 783, 785 (Ky. App. 2004)); Commonwealth v. Kash, 967 S.W.2d 37, 43-44 (Ky. App. 1997). “[T]he courts have a duty to accord statutory language its literal meaning unless to do so would lead to an absurd or wholly unreasonable result.’’ Commonwealth v. Rhodes, 308 S.W.3d 720, 723 (Ky. App. 2010) (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Holbrook v. Kentucky Unemployment Ins. Comm’n, 290 S.W.3d 81, 86 (Ky. App. 2009)). “[Sjtatutes must be given their literal interpretation unless they are ambiguous and if the words are not ambiguous, no statutory construction is required. We lend words of a statute their normal, ordinary, everyday meaning.” Stephenson v. Woodward, 182 S.W.3d 162, 170 (Ky. 2005) (internal citations and quotation marks omit[928]*928ted) (quoting Commonwealth v. Plowman, 86 S.W.3d 47, 49 (Ky. 2002)).

Jackson was .charged with operating a motor vehicle while , his license was DUI-suspended under KRS 189A.090, which provides in relevant part as follows:

(1) No person shall operate or be in physical control of a motor vehicle while his or her license is revoked or suspended.

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Related

Commonwealth v. Rhodes
308 S.W.3d 720 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2010)
Monumental Life Insurance Co. v. Department of Revenue
294 S.W.3d 10 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2008)
Stephenson v. Woodward
182 S.W.3d 162 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2006)
Commonwealth v. Kerr
136 S.W.3d 783 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2004)
Holbrook v. Kentucky Unemployment Insurance Commission
290 S.W.3d 81 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2009)
SmithKline Beecham Corp. v. Revenue Cabinet
40 S.W.3d 883 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2001)
Commonwealth v. Plowman
86 S.W.3d 47 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2002)
Cinelli v. Ward
997 S.W.2d 474 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1998)
Commonwealth v. Kash
967 S.W.2d 37 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1997)
Commonwealth v. Gamble
453 S.W.3d 716 (Kentucky Supreme Court, 2015)

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Bluebook (online)
530 S.W.3d 925, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jackson-v-commonwealth-kyctapp-2017.