State v. Trackwell

458 N.W.2d 181, 235 Neb. 845, 14 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 331, 1990 Neb. LEXIS 229
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 20, 1990
Docket89-866
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 458 N.W.2d 181 (State v. Trackwell) 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. Trackwell, 458 N.W.2d 181, 235 Neb. 845, 14 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 331, 1990 Neb. LEXIS 229 (Neb. 1990).

Opinions

White, J.

Defendant was convicted of third degree assault after a trial in the county court for Platte County. The district court affirmed the conviction and sentence. Defendant has appealed to this court. We reverse and dismiss.

On November 21, 1988, a complaint was filed against the defendant, Lloyd R. Trackwell, Jr., alleging that he did “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly cause bodily injury to Lois A. Murcek . . . .” The case was tried to the court. The evidence presented at trial showed the following relevant facts: Defendant owns ACP Collection Agency in Lincoln, Nebraska. Larry Holmes is his employee. On the night of October 14,1988, defendant and Holmes went to a farm north of Monroe, Nebraska, to repossess a 1988 Ford Ranger pickup owned by Lois Murcek. Murcek lives on the farm with Frank Able. There apparently was some repair work done on the [846]*846pickup at a Lincoln garage, and Murcek had defaulted on payments. Defendant testified that an artisan’s lien had been filed. Murcek had received notice that she was in default.

After unsuccessfully attempting to obtain assistance from the Platte County sheriff’s office, defendant and Holmes drove to the farm together in defendant’s vehicle. Defendant drove onto the farmplace and dropped Holmes off near the pickup, which was parked either partially in or near a barn. The pickup box was loaded with personal property belonging to Able and Murcek. Holmes began to drive the pickup down the 50- to 60-foot driveway while defendant waited in his car near the end of the driveway. From this point the facts are in dispute.

Able and Murcek testified to one version of the evening’s events. Murcek testified that she was awakened around 11 p.m. by Able shouting to her that the pickup was being stolen. She ran outside and observed that the pickup was beginning to proceed down the driveway toward a county road. In an attempt to stop the pickup, she attached herself to the front of the pickup by grabbing “the grill or the bottom of the bug screen or something.” Although the pickup “bumped” her with a series of jerking motions, she remained attached to the pickup, with her feet sliding along the gravel driveway. She testified that a car was parked near the end of the driveway. She further testified that she could hear a voice coming from behind her as she faced the pickup, yelling, “ ‘’Cmon, [sic] Lar! Keeping [sic] coming Lar!...’ ” As the pickup approached the end of the driveway, someone grabbed her from behind, pulling her off the pickup and throwing her to the ground. At trial she identified this man as the defendant. She testified that after throwing her to the ground the defendant returned to his vehicle and drove away. She suffered a deep laceration on two fingers, and various bruises and scratches. It was the State’s theory that these injuries were caused by defendant’s throwing Murcek from the truck.

Able testified that after he ran outside he attached himself to the driver’s side of the pickup by grabbing the rearview mirror. His testimony basically corroborated Murcek’s version of the facts. Able also testified that he saw a man near the end of the driveway who was yelling, “ ’Cmon, Lar! Take it easy! ’Cmon, [847]*847Lar.”

Defendant and Holmes recounted a different version of the events. Holmes testified that he never saw anyone leave the house. He testified that he saw Able pounding at the driver’s side of the pickup but that he never saw Murcek at all that night. He also testified that defendant did not leave his vehicle and that he did not hear defendant yell words of encouragement.

Defendant testified that he saw Murcek and Able come out of the house. He stated that Able attached himself to the driver’s side of the pickup. However, he testified that Murcek attached herself to the rear of the pickup and that “[s]he was draggin’ down in back of the — back — she — like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. She was trying to stop the truck and draggin’ on the back of it, holding these bunge [sic] straps.” He testified that both Able and Murcek dropped off the pickup near the end of the driveway and that he never left his car and never grabbed Murcek. Defendant was not questioned as to whether he yelled encouragement to Holmes. It was defendant’s theory that the bungee cords and subsequent fall caused Murcek’s injuries.

The trial judge issued a memorandum opinion and relied on a “criminal enterprise” theory to find defendant guilty of third degree assault. The conviction was affirmed by the district court. Defendant appeals to this court, contending, in sum, that his conviction for third degree assault is contrary to fact and law.

This court has stated that the factual findings of a judge who serves as a trier of fact in a criminal Case will not be disturbed on appeal unless clearly wrong. State v. Foster, 230 Neb. 607, 433 N.W.2d 167 (1988). In the present case there were several different theories upon which the trial court, as fact finder, could have imposed criminal liability. The trial court issued a detailed but sometimes confusing memorandum opinion. The trial court found facts to support one theory of criminal responsibility, to the exclusion of other theories. In this appeal we feel compelled to be bound by the facts as affirmatively determined by the trial court. For this court to determine facts on appeal and apply those facts to some other theory of criminal responsibility would be, in effect, to retry this case on appeal, with the Supreme Court sitting as the fact finder.

[848]*848In the memorandum opinion the trial judge rejected Able and Murcek’s version of the cause of Murcek’s injuries and accepted the defendant’s version:

The version of the defendant’s, that the victim was hanging onto the back of the pickup, losing control after she had been dragged down the driveway and being thrown to the ground, cutting her hand on the bungy [sic] strap or the rear of the pickup, appears more consistent with the photographs showing her injuries.

It appears in the present case that the State attempted to prove that defendant himself committed a third degree assault on Murcek by grabbing her and throwing her to the ground. The memorandum opinion indicates that the State’s theory was squarely rejected by the trial court.

An alternative basis of criminal liability would have been that defendant aided and abetted Holmes in committing the assault upon Murcek. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-206 (Reissue 1989) states that “[a] person who aids, abets, procures, or causes another to commit any offense may be prosecuted and punished as if he were the principal offender.” See, also, State v. Marco, 230 Neb. 355, 432 N.W.2d 1 (1988); State v. Schreck, 224 Neb. 650, 399 N.W.2d 830 (1987). Murcek’s and Abie’s testimony that defendant shouted words of encouragement might have been sufficient, if believed, to convict defendant of aiding and abetting the ostensible assault upon Murcek by Holmes. However, the trial court did not find that defendant aided and abetted Holmes by shouting words of encouragement.

Instead, the memorandum opinion is reasonably clear that the trial court based criminal liability solely on a “criminal enterprise” theory.

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State v. Trackwell
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
458 N.W.2d 181, 235 Neb. 845, 14 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. 2d (West) 331, 1990 Neb. LEXIS 229, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-trackwell-neb-1990.