State v. Butler

217 N.E.2d 237, 6 Ohio App. 2d 193, 35 Ohio Op. 2d 353, 1966 Ohio App. LEXIS 473
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 1, 1966
Docket3173 and 3177
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 217 N.E.2d 237 (State v. Butler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Butler, 217 N.E.2d 237, 6 Ohio App. 2d 193, 35 Ohio Op. 2d 353, 1966 Ohio App. LEXIS 473 (Ohio Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

Buthebeokd, P. J.

An automobile collision, at approximately 10:30 p. m. on State Boute 44 in Stark County, Ohio, resulted in the instant death of Philip Bomano. Thereafter, Jerry Anderson, age 29, and Harold Butler, age 22, were jointly indicted by the Stark County Grand Jury. The indictment, .which charged murder in the second degree, alleged:

«* * * Haroi(j Butler and Jerry Anderson * * * did purposely and maliciously kill Philip Bomano * *

A bill of particulars filed by the prosecuting attorney further alleged:

“1. That on or about May 8, 1964, at approximately 10:30 p. m. eastern daylight saving time in Stark County, Ohio, and on or near a certain highway known as State Boute 44 at a point on said highway approximately 1.1 mile south of the *195 Portage County line, Jerry Anderson and Harold Butler purposely and maliciously killed Philip Romano by operating their respective motor vehicles in such a way that the motor vehicle operated by Jerry Anderson struck a motor vehicle in which Philip Romano was located with such force and violence as to cause the death of Philip Romano;
“2. That Harold Butler used a 1962 Chevrolet and Jerry] Anderson a 1959 Ford in this killing;
“3. That Harold Butler aided, abetted or procured Jerry Anderson in killing Philip Romano;
“4. That Jerry Anderson aided, abetted or procured Har-¡ old Butler in killing Philip Romano.”
Upon arraignment, Harold Butler and Jerry Anderson each1 entered a plea of “not guilty.”

The defendants were separately tried. Three forms ofi verdict were submitted to each jury, to wit:

1. Guilty of murder in the second degree.

2. Not guilty of murder in the second degree, but guilty of manslaughter in the first degree.

3. Not guilty.

In each case, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the second degree. The defendants were, respectively, sentenced to life terms in the Ohio State Penitentiary, and these appeals followed

Upon the trial of each case, the state presented evidence that while at a tavern Anderson and Butler were each extolling the merits of his ear and that pursuant to an agreement to contest the merits of their separate cars Anderson and Butler got into their cars and headed north on State Route 44 in Stark County. The evidence is not clear as to how many times each had passed the other. Just prior to the collision, Anderson attempted to pass Butler, and another car came from the north over a small crest in the road. Mr. and Mrs. Storey and Mrs. Lowden, driver and passengers of the oncoming automobile, testified that the headlights of the Anderson and Butler cars were side by side and that the Storey car was forced off of its right side of the road to avoid being struck. However, Anderson testified that he pulled back in behind Butler and then started around Butler again. Another car (the one driven by the decedent, Philip Romano) then came south over the erestjl *196 and Anderson, whose car was abreast of Butler’s car, could not get over and the head-on collision occurred in the southbound lane, which caused the death of Philip Romano.

Route 44 is a two-lane highway consisting of one northbound and one south-bound lane. There was a white center line on Route 44, but no yellow line.

The 1963 Cadillac driven by Philip Romano left 34 feet of skid marks in the south-bound lane and 25 feet of gouge marks to where it came to rest off the right side of the south-bound lane. The speedometer was jammed at 50 miles an hour. The 1959 Ford being driven by Jerry Anderson left 181 feet of gouge marks from the south-bound lane to a point where it left the right side of the road headed north and an additional 63 feet of marks to a point where it came to rest 20 feet off the right side of the road. The Ford’s speedometer was jammed at 90 miles an hour.

The 1962 Chevrolet driven by Harold Butler continued down the road until Butler could find a place to turn around with his car which had no workable low gear or reverse. He then returned to the scene.

Anderson denied that there had been any discussion or agreement with Butler to contest or race; that there was any contest or race; that there was any concert of effort or agreement on the part of he and Butler; or that he had any intent to kill anyone.

It is Butler’s contention that he had nothing to do with the accident; that he was not engaged in a contest or race with Anderson ; that he had not engaged in any discussion or agreement to race with Anderson; that there was no agreement or concert of effort on the part of he and Anderson; and that he did not kill anyone and had no intent to kill anyone.

We will consider first the respectively assigned errors that the evidence was insufficient to support verdicts of guilty of murder in the second degree and that the verdicts were against the manifest weight of the evidence.

Two essential elements necessary to sustain a conviction of murder in the second degree are:

(1) An intent and purpose to kill, and

(2) Malice.

One may be. presumed to intend the natural, reasonable and *197 probable consequence of Ms voluntary acts, unless the circumstances are such as to indicate the absence of such intent. One may not be presumed to intend results which are not the natural, reasonable and probable consequences of his act.

"While neither Anderson nor Butler knew PMlip Romano and, therefore, could have no motive to kill directed specifically at him; nevertheless, there is evidence in the record from which a jury could find beyond reasonable doubt that pursuant to an agreement Anderson and Butler were operating their cars with such reckless, willful and intentional violation of traffic laws of the state of Ohio that the natural and probable consequence of their voluntary acts would be to produce death. From such conduct and under such circumstances an intent and purpose to kill may be presumed, if the jury after consideration of all the evidence so find beyond reasonable doubt. If a defendant has an intent to kill someone, it is not necessary that he have in mind the particular person whose death results.

Where the fact of killing, with intent and purpose to Mil, is proved, malice is to be presumed, and all the circumstances of justification, excuse or extenuation must be made out by the accused, unless they appear from the evidence adduced against him. See State v. Robinson, 161 Ohio St 213; Davis v. State, 25 Ohio St. 369; and State v. Stallings, 82 Ohio App. 337.

It is our finding that there is credible evidence in the record in each case to sustain the charge of second degree murder if the jury believed the testimony of various witnesses.

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Bluebook (online)
217 N.E.2d 237, 6 Ohio App. 2d 193, 35 Ohio Op. 2d 353, 1966 Ohio App. LEXIS 473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-butler-ohioctapp-1966.