Porter v. State

1961 OK CR 9, 361 P.2d 695, 1961 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 156
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 4, 1961
DocketNo. A-12916
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1961 OK CR 9 (Porter v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Porter v. State, 1961 OK CR 9, 361 P.2d 695, 1961 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 156 (Okla. Ct. App. 1961).

Opinion

POWELL, Presiding Judge.

Clinton Tiny Porter was charged by information in the County Court of Harper County with the offense of driving a motor vehicle on a public road while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, was tried before a jury, convicted, and his punishment assessed at 30 days in the county jail, and to pay a fine of $50.

The evidence developed that defendant, a 27 year old ex-service man and native of the area, was on September 14, 1959 employed by the Christian Oil Well Service on a rig about 15 or 16 miles west of Laverne, Harper County, as a derrick hand. He had been so employed about four or five months and prior to that time was a farmer. He worked from 4 P.M. until midnight. Soon after coming to work on the day stated, the driller asked defendant and a young man by the name of Keith Hunter to drive to Laverne and get him a fifth of whiskey. They drove to town in defendant’s 1955 Chevrolet car and drank several cans of beer before starting back to the rig right after dark.

Keith Hunter testified for the State and said that prior to going into town the whole crew at the rig had been drinking beer. That he and Porter drank four or five cans. Porter denied that he drank any beer at the rig, but admitted that he drank two or three cans of beer after getting to Laverne. Hunter said that when he and Porter started back to the rig they were feeling pretty good, and he would say they were intoxicated. He said he purchased a fifth of whiskey for the driller before leaving town, but denied that he or Porter drank any whiskey. He said Porter was driving and at a speed of 45 or 50 miles per hour, that he had observed the speedometer; that a few miles west of Laverne defendant’s car left the road, and Hunter said the next time he remembered anything he was in the hospital at Shattuck. [697]*697He said it appeared that tney Rad a tire blow-out that caused the car to leave the road.

Witness Hunter admitted that after the accident he signed a written statement in which he denied that the defendant Porter drank any beer prior to driving into Laverne, and had stated that Porter drank two or three cans of beer at Laverne, gave no indication of being under the influence of alcohol, but appeared sober right up to the time of the car accident. He said he did this to try to help Porter. That Porter had asked him to go up to the office of his attorney, Mr. Billings, and give him a statement as to what had happened.

Archie D. Carter, town marshal at Laverne and a deputy sheriff, testified that on or about September 15, 1959 at about 9 or 9:30 in the evening, a man who was with Mr. Porter came over to his car at the intersection of Main and Broadway in Laverne, and told him there had been a car wreck four and a half miles west of Laverne; that Porter then came over to the police car and wanted witness to call an ambulance, which he did. He said defendant appeared to be intoxicated, and admitted to him that he had been drinking. He said defendant wanted to telephone the sheriff and his people, and he drove him to the Commercial Cafe where he went in to telephone. That thereafter defendant came out and got in the car with witness and they awaited the Highway Patrol, and after Patrolman Jim Holland got there they got in the patrol car and went to the scene of the wreck. They found defendant’s car with all four wheels in the air. He said at the time defendant stated he did not know who had driven the car. Witness said the marks showed the car had left the blacktop on the left-hand side of the road as it was being driven west; that it ran through a fence, knocked down three posts, tore wires down and jumped a bank three feet high and rolled about 75 yards up a hill and came to rest 250 yards from where it left the highway. Witness said they later returned to Laverne and Patrolman Holland placed defendant under arrest. At 1:30 or 2 A.M. Sheriff Snider took defendant into custody to be taken to the county seat at Buffalo.

Patrolman Holland testified to seeing defendant, as testified to by Town Marshal Carter, and he gave it as his opinion that defendant was intoxicated at the time. He told about the position of defendant’s car from the highway, gave measurements, etc., and estimated that the car was being driven at a speed of 100 miles an hour when it left the road. He said defendant admitted he had been drinking beer; that defendant first said Mr. Hunter was driving the car but later said he must have been driving it himself. Witness said he went to Shat-tuck the same night and saw Keith Hunter, who had been injured in the car accident.

Chester Snider, sheriff of Harper County, testified that the first time he saw the defendant was early the morning of September 15, when defendant was in jail at Laverne. He had undersheriff Lee Hayes take him to jail at Buffalo. That the next day before defendant was taken before the judge, he told witness he intended to plead guilty, but after he talked with his mother and his lawyer he failed to do so.

Defendant Porter denied he had driven his car over 50 miles per hour, and denied that he first saw Town Marshal Carter in Laverne, but on the contrary, said he first saw Mr. Carter at the scene of the accident and rode back to Laverne with him. Defendant said the left front tire of his car blew out and he lost control of his car; that his car turned over and he received a blow on the top of his head and it dazed him. He said that after he returned to Laverne with Mr. Carter, he went to the Cafe to telephone his folks and later Patrolman Holland came and he went back to the scene of the wreck with Mr. Carter and Patrolman Holland.

Several witnesses testified to the good character of the defendant. The State did not attempt to take issue.

[698]*698For reversal defendant argues some six propositions of error, as follows:

1. “That the court erred in refusing to instruct the jury upon the issue of defendant’s character.
2. “That the court erred in refusing to instruct the jury in regard to the proper consideration to be given to expert testimony.
3. “That the defendant was deprived of a fair trial by improper, prejudicial and inflammatory argument of the county attorney.
4. “That defendant was deprived of a fair trial by prejudicial remarks, statements, and questions of the county attorney.
5. “That the defendant was deprived of a fair trial by errors of the court in the admission and exclusion of evidence.
6. “That the court erred in refusing to allow and try a challenge for cause against the juror F. H. Terbush.”

As to propositions four, five and six, counsel for the defendant in his brief says: “It may appear that addition of the last three propositions to the argument is superfluous, but they should be decided since they might well arise again in event the case is re-tried.”

We have read the entire record very carefully. There was ample evidence to support the verdict of the jury. Ryan v. State, 97 Okl.Cr. 119, 258 P.2d 1208; Goodson v. State, Okl.Cr., 354 P.2d 472. Rare is the case free from all error. The County Attorney did persist in asking leading questions. But all the errors that we have noted were harmless and cannot be deemed to have affected the substantial rights of the defendant. 22 O.S.1951 § 1068 provides:

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Bluebook (online)
1961 OK CR 9, 361 P.2d 695, 1961 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 156, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/porter-v-state-oklacrimapp-1961.