State v. Roth

382 N.W.2d 348, 222 Neb. 119, 1986 Neb. LEXIS 870
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 28, 1986
Docket85-459
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 382 N.W.2d 348 (State v. Roth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Roth, 382 N.W.2d 348, 222 Neb. 119, 1986 Neb. LEXIS 870 (Neb. 1986).

Opinions

Krivosha, C.J.

The single issue presented by appellant, David C. Roth, to this court is whether one who has caused the death of another with a motor vehicle must be charged with committing the crime of motor vehicle homicide in violation of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-306 (Reissue 1979) or, at the discretion of the prosecution, may be charged with committing the crime of manslaughter in violation of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-305 (Reissue 1979). Roth argues that where the death is caused by a motor vehicle, the defendant must be charged with motor vehicle homicide and may not be charged with manslaughter. We believe that Roth is in error in that regard.

The facts of the case are essentially without dispute. On Friday, December 28, 1984, Roth and two of his friends were drinking at a bar in Omaha, Nebraska. Also present at the bar was the decedent, Helen Schroer. Accompanying Schroer at the [121]*121bar were Emily Swendroski, John Swendroski, and Richard Comm. During the course of the evening, Roth’s two friends played a game of pool with Corum and John Swendroski. While playing pool, one of Roth’s friends verbally harassed Corum and John Swendroski. Sometime later, Roth and his two friends left the bar and were standing outside when Helen Schroer and her friends also left the bar. Rodney Kroupa, one of Roth’s friends, walked up behind Corum and hit him on the side of the head while John Andrysik, Roth’s other friend, made obscene comments to Schroer. At this point John Swendroski ordered Schroer and the others into his car. As he drove off, he sideswiped Andrysik with his car. Roth and Andrysik jumped into Roth’s truck, with Roth driving, and began to pursue the Swendroski car. During this approximately 1.1-mile chase, the car and truck ran several red lights, traveling at speeds between 35 and 55 m.p.h., clearly in violation of law. While going approximately 55 m.p.h. in a residential area, the Roth truck struck the rear of the Swendroski car, causing it to swerve. Swendroski then accelerated, tried to pass another car, went over the curb, went down an embankment, and struck a tree, where the car finally stopped. Schroer suffered severe injuries in the crash and died several hours later. Roth was charged with manslaughter in violation of § 28-305.

The district court instructed the jury that it could find Roth guilty of either manslaughter in violation of § 28-305 or the lesser-included offense of motor vehicle homicide in violation of § 28-306. The jury, following deliberation, returned a verdict finding Roth guilty of manslaughter. Roth now argues that motor vehicle homicide is not a lesser-included offense of manslaughter and that the adoption of § 28-306 (motor vehicle homicide) impliedly repealed § 28-305 (manslaughter) with regard to deaths caused by motor vehicles. As we have already indicated, we are unable to accept that argument. The language of the two statutes simply does not justify such a conclusion.

Nebraska’s manslaughter statute, § 28-305, provides in part: “A person commits manslaughter if he kills another without malice, either upon a sudden quarrel, or causes the death of another unintentionally while in the commission of an unlawful act." (Emphasis supplied.) The Nebraska motor vehicle [122]*122homicide statute, § 28-306, provides in part: “A person who causes the death of another unintentionally while engaged in the operation of a motor vehicle in violation of the law of the State of Nebraska or in violation of any city or village ordinance commits motor vehicle homicide.” (Emphasis supplied.)

There is nothing in the legislative history of either § 28-305 or § 28-306 to indicate that the Legislature intended to bring about the result urged by Roth, nor are the statutes repugnant to each other so as to cause the type of conflict which requires a court to consider that a statute has been repealed by implication.

As we noted in American Fed. S., C. & M. Emp. v. County of Lancaster, 200 Neb. 301, 303, 263 N.W.2d 471, 473 (1978):

Repeals by implication are not favored. A statute will not be considered repealed by implication unless the repugnancy between the new provision and the former statute is plain and unavoidable. A construction of a statute which, in effect, repeals another statute, will not be adopted unless such construction is made necessary by the evident intent of the Legislature.

See, also, Sarpy Co. Pub. Emp. Assn. v. County of Sarpy, 220 Neb. 431, 370 N.W.2d 495 (1985).

It is not uncommon for an act to constitute a violation of more than one crime, some of which may be lesser-included offenses and some of which may be separate and distinct. The former is the case with regard to manslaughter, where death is caused by the use of a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle homicide.

In State v. Kelley, 211 Neb. 770, 320 N.W.2d 455 (1982), we analyzed an argument not dissimilar to that made by Roth herein, and in rejecting the argument said at 775, 320 N.W.2d at 458:

Since both crimes [manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide] require that the person charged cause the death of another unintentionally while in violation of the law, motor vehicle homicide is a lesser-included offense of manslaughter. Manslaughter can be committed when someone causes the death of another unintentionally while operating a motor vehicle in violation of the law.

See, also, State v. Hardin, 212 Neb. 774, 326 N.W.2d 38 (1982); [123]*123State v. Rice, 198 Neb. 758, 255 N.W.2d 282 (1977).

The evidence is more than sufficient to permit a jury to find that Roth caused the death of Schroer unintentionally while in the commission of an unlawful act. At the minimum, he violated Neb. Rev. Stat. § 39-629 (Reissue 1984), which provides that the driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, and such driver shall have due regard for the speed of such vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the roadway. Also, the evidence establishes that Roth violated Neb. Rev. Stat. § 39-662 (Reissue 1984), which provides that no person shall drive through a residential district at a speed in excess of 25 m.p.h., as well as operating his motor vehicle in either a careless, reckless, or willful reckless manner, in violation of law. Additionally, there is no question that Roth committed a number of nontraffic offenses, including, at least, assault in the third degree in violation of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-310 (Reissue 1979). On that basis Roth was guilty of either manslaughter or motor vehicle homicide.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
382 N.W.2d 348, 222 Neb. 119, 1986 Neb. LEXIS 870, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-roth-neb-1986.