Slater v. State

1956 OK CR 43, 296 P.2d 193, 1956 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 175
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 4, 1956
DocketA-12285
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1956 OK CR 43 (Slater 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
Slater v. State, 1956 OK CR 43, 296 P.2d 193, 1956 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 175 (Okla. Ct. App. 1956).

Opinion

POWELL, Judge.

Milo K. Slater, plaintiff in error, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged by information filed in the Municipal Criminal Court of the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the offense of driving a motor vehicle on a public highway while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, was tried before a jury, convicted, and his punishment fixed at imprisonment in the county jail of Tulsa County for a period of thirty days. Appeal has been perfected to this court.

For reversal defendant argues in his brief four propositions, and being that the court erred as follows: (1) In overruling defendant’s objection to the information; (2) In overruling defendant’s demurrer to the evidence in that the State failed to prove venue; (3) In overruling defendant’s motion for a new trial; and, (4) In refusing to give defendant’s requested instruction.

The State in making out its case used three witnesses, Kenneth Gandall, the arresting officer; Roy Housouer, the officer who gave defendant the Harger breath test and the manual test; and Dr. M. O. Hart, who gave an expert’s -opinion concerning the Harger breath test or drunlc-o-meter *196 test, and the effect of alcohol on the human body.

The defendant did not testify, and offered no evidence.

The evidence of the State proved conclusively that the defendant was operating his automobile at the time charged at a point in Admiral Boulevard and Atlanta Street, while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, was arrested by a Tulsa police officer and taken to the Tulsa police station and charged. Defendant’s breath tested 0.35. A person whose breath would test 0.15 was shown to be considered intoxicated. There is no dispute as to the defendant having been very much intoxicated at the time of his arrest .

We would attempt to focus the issues more clearly by quoting the charging part of the information and referring to the statutory provisions involved.

The pertinent portion of the information reads:

“ * * * On or about tlie 24 day of August, 1955, within the corporate limits of the city of Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, Milo K. Slater, the above named defendant, did then and there unlawfully and wrongfully and wilfully and ■ knowingly drive and operate a certain motor vehicle, to-wit: a 1951 Kaiser automobile, over and upon' a public highway in the county of Tulsa, Okla., to-wit: At a point in Admiral Blvd. & Atlanta St., in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, in violation of Section 93, Title 47, of the 1941 Revised State Statutes of the State of Oklahoma, contrary to the form of the statutes in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Oklahoma.”

Considering defendant’s first proposition, it will be noted that it is stated in the information that the crime charged was in violation of “Section 93, Title 47, of the 1941 Revised State Statutes of the State of Oklahoma”, whereas the crime charged happened on August 24, 1955, at a time such statute was not in effect. The 1941 statute had been carried over into the code of 1951 and was adopted and accepted by the 1953 Legislature as the law. However, on May 16, 1955, there became effective House Bill No. 814, chapter 4, Title 47, § 93, S.L. 1955, p. 263, 47 O.S.Supp.1955 § 93, which amended and supplanted 47 O.S.1951 § 93.

A comparison of Section 93, Title 47 O.S. 1941, 47 O.S.1951- § 93 and the amendatory statute, House Bill 814, chapter 4, Title 47, Section 93, S.L.1955, p. 263, 47 O.S.Supp. 1955 § 93, will disclose that the only difference in the law that became effective May 16, 1955 and the law just prior thereto, is in the penalty provision. This latter change will be discussed later in connection with defendant’s fourth proposition.

Under the facts stated, did the erroneous reference in question actually prejudice the defendant, or violate any substantial right?

We note that the only plea made by the defendant prior to commencement of trial was one of not guilty. The sufficiency of the information was not challenged by demurrer until after the jury had been impaneled and sworn to try the case, and the State’s first witness had been sworn. Counsel then interposed an objection to the introduction of evidence on the ground that the informaton was duplicitous and was further defective by reason of referring to the crime charged as a violation of Tit. 47 O.S.1941 § 93 rather than Tit. 47 O.S.Supp. 1955 § 93. The court overruled counsel’s objection. Counsel did not thereupon ask the court to require the prosecution to elect on which section of the statute he was relying for conviction. However, the instructions to the jury clearly discloses that the court instructed the jury for an alleged violation of the 1955 Act instead of 47 O.S. 1941' § 93. And as we have pointed out, the only change made by the 1955 amendment was to the matter of punishment upon conviction.

We find that the information charges but one offense, and that all the ingredients necessary to constitute the offense charged are alleged in the information, and that the matter complained of under the facts in this particular case caused the defendant to suffer no prejudice to his rights by the refusal of the court to sustain his objection to *197 the introduction of evidence on behalf of the State.

In the case of Phillips v. State, Okl.Cr., 267 P.2d 167, 168, which we find applicable here, we said, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the syllabus:

“Where the information has not been challenged by demurrer or motion to quash, the defendant pleads to the information and goes to trial, any objection to the sufficiency of the information should be overruled if by any intendment, inference or presumption, it can be sustained.
“An information or indictment which, construed under the ordinary rules of construction, states all the essential elements of the crime charged sufficiently to enable a person of common understanding to know what is meant, and with sufficient particularity to enable a defendant to prepare for his trial, and to plead the judgment in bar, if again informed against for the same offense, is sufficient.”

Concerning the proposition that the State failed to prove venue and for such reason the court erred in overruling defendant’s demurrer to the evidence, we note that the demurrer in question did not in exact words urge upon the court that the State had not proven venue, but merely that “the defendant further demurs for the reason this court is without jurisdiction.” Why such contention was advanced is not stated. Counsel’s argument must fail for two reasons. First, it is true that there is no direct evidence in the record proving venue. However, the rule is well established that venue may be proven by circumstantial evidence. Payne v. State, Okl.Cr., 276 P.2d 784. We note from the record the following circumstances bearing on venue:

The arresting officer, Kenneth Gandall, testified that he had been serving on the Tulsa police force for three years and was assigned to the patrol division. He testified by use of an intersection board, in visually demonstrating the intersection of Admiral Boulevard and Atlanta Street.

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508 P.2d 1292 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1973)
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Bluebook (online)
1956 OK CR 43, 296 P.2d 193, 1956 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/slater-v-state-oklacrimapp-1956.