State v. McKeehan

969 So. 2d 1259, 7 La.App. 3 Cir. 569, 2007 La. App. LEXIS 2014, 2007 WL 3171211
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 31, 2007
DocketNo. 07-569
StatusPublished

This text of 969 So. 2d 1259 (State v. McKeehan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. McKeehan, 969 So. 2d 1259, 7 La.App. 3 Cir. 569, 2007 La. App. LEXIS 2014, 2007 WL 3171211 (La. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinions

DECUIR, Judge.

hThe Defendant, James Oliver McKee-han, Jr., was convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI), fourth offense, in violation of La.R.S. 14:98. He lodges this appeal asserting the following three assignments of error:

1) The State’s reliance on the presumption of intoxication set forth in La.R.S. 82:662 was improper, as the bill of information did not charge the Defendant with a violation of La.R.S. 14:98(A)(1)(b), but instead charged a violation of La. R.S. 14:98(A)(1)(a).
2) The evidence introduced at trial was insufficient to find that the Defendant was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage at the time he was driving.
3) The trial court imposed a sentence upon the Defendant that results in the ex post facto application of the law which is prohibited by both the federal and state constitutions. The trial court improperly applied the harsher sentencing provisions in effect at the time of his conviction instead of the sentencing provisions in effect at the time of the commission of the offense.

ERRORS PATENT

Our review of the record reveals one error patent. The trial court failed to inform the Defendant of the appropriate prescriptive period for filing post-conviction relief as required by La.Code Crim.P. art. 930.8. Accordingly, we direct the trial court to inform the Defendant by written notice within ten days of the rendition of this opinion.

SUFFICIENCY OF EVIDENCE

We will first examine Defendant’s allegation that the evidence is not sufficient to support his conviction. See State v. Hearold, 603 So.2d 731 (La.1992). The Defendant contends the evidence introduced at trial was insufficient to find that he was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage at the time he was driving.

In evaluating the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction, a reviewing court must determine whether, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found proof beyond a reasonable doubt of each of the essential elements of the crime charged. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Captville, 448 So.2d |a676, 678 (La. 1984). Additionally, where circumstantial evidence forms the basis of the conviction, the evidence must exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence, “assuming every fact to be proved that the evidence tends to prove.” La. R.S. 15:438; see State v. Neal, 2000-0674 p. 9 (La.6/29/01), 796 So.2d 649, 657, cert. denied, 535 U.S. 940, 122 S.Ct. 1323, 152 L.Ed.2d 231 (2002). The statutory requirement of La. R.S. 15:438 “works with the Jackson constitutional sufficiency test to evaluate whether all evidence, direct and circumstantial, is sufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to [1261]*1261a rational jury.” Neal, 2000-0674 p. 9, 796 So.2d at 657.

State v. Draughn, 05-1825, p. 7 (La.1/17/07), 950 So.2d 583, 592.

Thus, to support the Defendant’s conviction, the State was required to prove the Defendant was operating a motor vehicle and was either under the influence of alcohol or his blood alcohol concentration was 0.08 or more.

The Defendant testified that on November 22, 2003, he went to a hunting camp to repair two air conditioners and an ice machine. While working, he had two cups of beer from a keg, which possibly totaled fifteen ounces of beer. The Defendant testified that he was at the camp for approximately two hours. When the Defendant was ready to leave, the owner of the camp handed him a drink in a Big Gulp cup that was either twenty or thirty-two ounces. When he got in the car, he placed the cup in his lap. On his way back to Lake Charles, the Defendant passed Deputy Donald LeDoux while driving seventy miles per hour. The Defendant testified that he then drank the contents of the cup and then threw the cup out the window.

Deputy LeDoux testified that when he stopped the Defendant he appeared unbalanced as he exited his vehicle and that his speech was slurred. Deputy LeDoux then noticed marijuana in the Defendant’s vehicle and the Defendant was immediately placed under arrest. Deputy LeDoux then contacted the Defendant’s parents, who came to the scene to retrieve the Defendant’s vehicle. After the Defendant’s parents left the scene, Detective LeDoux searched the surrounding area in an attempt to locdte the cup discarded by the Defendant prior to being stopped. Unable to locate the cup, | ¡¿Detective LeDoux left the scene and drove the Defendant to the police department in Cameron.

When the Defendant arrived at the police department he asked to go to the restroom, but was told to wait. The Defendant then urinated on himself. Subsequently, a field sobriety test was performed at the police department. Deputy LeDoux testified that during the field sobriety test the Defendant was “unable to respond to almost anything to the point of uncontrolled bowel movements where he had to be taken to the restroom to complete. And he was just — seemed to be out of control, incoherent in every manner.” Deputy LeDoux was asked if the Defendant cooperated and completed the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. He testified the Defendant tried, but it was hard for him. He stated “I believe we can say he completed it.” Deputy LeDoux then testified the Defendant had a positive result in all the different categories. The Defendant subsequently submitted to the intoxi-lyzer test. The results indicated the Defendant’s blood alcohol concentration was .227 percent.

The trial court found the Defendant guilty of DWI, fourth offense, stating the following:

I’ll agree with you about one thing, Mr. McHale. I don’t think that his level of intoxication at the time of his stop was as severe as it was when he was videotaped or else Deputy LeDoux would not have observed that the vehicle was going straight.
But nevertheless, the evidence is such that he was imbibing alcoholic beverages before the stop and there is some evidence of impairment. And that’s adequate.

The Defendant contends the State failed to prove he was operating the vehicle while intoxicated. In State v. Picard, 03-2422, pp. 8-9 (La.App. 1 Cir. 9/17/04), 897 So.2d 49, 54-55 the court said:

[1262]*1262|4Intoxication with its attendant' behavioral manifestations is an observable condition about which a witness may testify. What behavioral manifestations are sufficient to support a charge of driving while intoxicated must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Some behavioral manifestations, independent of any scientific test, are sufficient to support a charge of driving while intoxicated. State v. Anderson, 2000-1737, p. 10 (La.App. 1st Cir.3/28/01), 784 So.2d 666, 676, writ denied, 2001-1558 (La.4/19/02), 813 So.2d 421. Furthermore, an officer’s subjective opinion that a subject failed a field sobriety test may constitute sufficient evidence of intoxication to support a DWI conviction. See State v. Smith, 93-1490, p. 6 (La.App. 1st Cir.6/24/94), 638 So.2d 1212, 1215.
In Smith, 93-1490 at pp.

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Bluebook (online)
969 So. 2d 1259, 7 La.App. 3 Cir. 569, 2007 La. App. LEXIS 2014, 2007 WL 3171211, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mckeehan-lactapp-2007.