State v. Adels

186 N.W.2d 908, 186 Neb. 849, 1971 Neb. LEXIS 810
Nebraska Supreme Court·Decided May 14, 1971·No. 37784·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

White, C. J.

This is a criminal prosecution for third offense drunk driving. The defendant appellant challenges the competence of the State’s witnesses to express an opinion as to intoxication, the failure to endorse on the information the names of the witnesses who testified as to his prior convictions in drunk driving, and the sufficiency of the evidence to convict the defendant. On review we affirm the judgment and sentence of the district court.

Only the background facts necessary for an understanding of the issues in this case will be recited in this opinion. In the early evening of November 29, 1969, the defendant was returning a borrowed International pickup truck to the Great Western Sugar factory in Gering, Nebraska. He was followed from the south edge of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Gering, Nebraska, by state trooper Marvin Jenson where he was arrested for drunken driving. The arrest took place at approximately 7:15 p.m. Adels, 33 years of age, divorced, had finished his regular shift at the Great Western Sugar factory in Gering about 4 p.m. When he completed his shift he and some friends went to his apartment and consumed alcoholic liquor. Adels testified that during this whole period of time he had only two cans of Budweiser beer. He testified that he had no other beer or no hard liquor. He testified that he used the truck to take his clothing and personal effects to a new apartment. In any event, immediately prior to 7:15 p.m. he left the apartment to *851 return the pickup truck to the sugar factory in Gering. He testified generally that lime in the room in which he worked at the sugar factory caused his eyes to be sore .and red for a long period of time and also that many years before he had suffered a crushed ankle and the leg impediment was. still bothering him. He also testified that he had trouble with the pickup on returning it because of the gear shift. The defendant’s contention in this case is that the officers who testified as to intoxication had no proper foundation for their opinion. This contention, fairly stated in the context of this case, is that the officers failed to testify as to many factors which could have supported a conclusion of drunkenness, and they failed to negative many items in the defendant’s conduct which would furnish a foundation for a conclusion as to intoxication. For example, the defendant contends that the officers should have testified as to any other physical defects besides a pale face and bloodshot eyes which would indicate intoxication, and the failure of the officers to testify whether Adels was talkative, profane, hilarious, sleepy, or bellicose. He contends that in order to establish a foundation for the conclusion of intoxication the officers should have testified as to whether he stuttered when talking, whether his speech was slurred, and whether his conversation was responsive to questions, nonsensical, or disorganized; whether the defendant had difficulty in writing; whether his pupils reacted to strong light; and whether his clothing was untidy, soiled, or disarranged,, etc. No. authority is cited or are we aware of any that requires an affirmative showing by the State covering each one of these issues and the many others recited by the defendant in order to establish a foundation for intoxication. We go to the record to discover the evidence that was introduced which was the basis of the opinion conclusion of the trooper that the defendant was intoxicated at the time of the arrest. Trooper Marvin Jenson testified that the defendant’s motor ve *852 hide was weaving and' crossing'the centerline " on the bypass near the south edge of Scottsbluff. He testified that the vehicle turned south on State Highway No. 71 and that after he turned on his red light the defendant finally stopped some 2 or 3 miles down the road. During this period of 2 or 3 miles, the defendant continued to weave back and forth and over onto the shoulder of the median that divides the driving lanes on the highway. Jenson testified that he was fearful of causing a wreck if he pulled up alongside the defendant’s pickup truck. After both cars were finally stopped, as the defendant got out of his car he staggered. He had" a strong odor of liquor about him. At that time, the trooper asked him to perform some balance tests and he weaved and staggered when trying to perform them. He then was placed under arrest for drunk driving and taken to the county sheriff’s office. In the sheriff’s office in the observation of Jenson, the defendant staggered when he was asked to walk the line, nearly fell on a balance test, his face was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. Based on these observations and 4 years’ experience as a highway patrolman, the trooper testified he was of the opinion that the defendant was intoxicated or drunk.

It is obvious, without a further recital of the details of the trooper’s testimony, that the foundation was sufficient for a conclusion that the defendant was intoxicated. A nonexpert witness may testify from his observations as to whether or not another is. intoxicated and the weight and sufficiency of this evidence is for a jury to decide. State v. Lewis, 177 Neb. 173, 128 N. W. 2d 610; Lemmon v. State, 173 Neb. 387, 113 N. W. 2d 525; Pribyl v. State, 165 Neb. 691, 87 N. W. 2d 201. The foundation for the other officer’s testimony was sufficient for the same reasons we have recited herein as to Jenson’s. There is¡ no merit to this contention.

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State v. Adels, 186 N.W.2d 908, 186 Neb. 849, 1971 Neb. LEXIS 810 (Neb. 1971).

186 N.W.2d 908 (State v. Adels) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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203 N.W.2d 500 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1973)