State v. Harkness

370 P.2d 100, 189 Kan. 581, 1962 Kan. LEXIS 295
Supreme Court of Kansas·Decided April 7, 1962·No. 42,840·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinions

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Robb, J.:

This is an appeal by defendant from a conviction of the offense of driving an automobile on the highways of the state of Kansas while his operator’s license was suspended and revoked by the motor vehicle department of the state highway commission, and from the trial court’s order overruling his motion for new trial.

On July 13, 1961, complaint was filed by the county attorney of Ness county charging that on or about June 17, 1961, defendant unlawfully drove and operated a certain motor vehicle, namely, a 1961 Ford country sedan bearing 1961 Kansas license number NS-2162, upon a public highway while his operator’s license was suspended and revoked by the vehicle department of the state of Kansas.

A full jury trial was had and after the introduction of evidence, the trial court instructed the jury. We should perhaps pause to note that defendant’s third and fourth contentions of error in regard to such instructions cannot be considered by this court on appeal for the reason that all of the instructions were not brought before us either in the abstract or in the counter abstract.

The jury returned a verdict of guilty and the trial court entered judgment accordingly under G. S. 1961 Supp., 8-262, and this appeal followed. The statute in pertinent part reads:

[582] “(a) Any person who drives a motor vehicle on any public highway of this state at a time when his privilege so to do is canceled, suspended or revoked shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months and there may be imposed in addition thereto a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500).”

The record before us explains how it was discovered that defendant had driven his automobile. He reported to his insurance company that while he had been driving his car approximately four miles east and seven miles south of Ness City the car caught fire and he wanted to file a claim to recover on his insurance policy. During the trial an exhibit marked No. 3 was admitted into evidence over the objection of defense counsel. One of the grounds for the objection was that the exhibit was improperly certified and defendant urges that same point here as reversible error. The exhibit now before us consists of six sheets of photostat reproductions of certain documents which have all been stapled together. The first, or top sheet, appears to be a letterhead of the motor vehicle department of the state highway commission dated July 24, 1961, and bears the heading “certificate.” In the body thereof L. A. Billings, superintendent of the motor vehicle department of the state highway commission certified that the attached photostat copies of “Letters of Revocation” and “Abstracts of Convictions” relative to Myron Russell Harkness were true and correct copies of the originals on file in the records of the department. His signature affixed thereto was verified by a notary public.

The second attached sheet of the exhibit had a state highway commission heading with “Vehicle Department” printed thereunder and beneath this the title read “order of suspension of privileges to operate motor vehicle in Kansas” and in the body appeared the following:

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State v. Harkness, 370 P.2d 100, 189 Kan. 581, 1962 Kan. LEXIS 295 (kan 1962).

370 P.2d 100 (State v. Harkness) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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State v. Harkness
370 P.2d 100 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1962)